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Local school districts have seen issues with unemployment fraud since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Angie Niko, the Director of Personnel and Payroll for Bartlesville Public Schools, said the district had seen 126 unemployment claims since schools closed for COVID-19. She said 14 of those claims were real while the other 112 were fraudulent claims.

All 126 cases are not current employees necessarily. Some of those cases involve former employees. Notifications go out to the Bartlesville Public Schools District if anyone who has earned wages with them in the last year and a half has filed an unemployment claim. This is because the BPSD reports their employees to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

Niko said that doesn't change the fact that the unemployment fraud claims exist. She said the 112 cases are alarming.

Everyone was scrambling at Bartlesville Public Schools to figure out what to do when it came to giving guidance to those that fell victim to unemployment fraud. Niko said Oklahoma's unemployment system was inundated with phone calls since this is a statewide (and nationwide) issue. She said it was a difficult process to work through in the beginning.

Unemployment attorneys with the Oklahoma State School Board Association were commended by Niko. She said they have given excellent guidance and a template letter to send out to employees with Bartlesville Public Schools that might be a victim of unemployment fraud. BPS continues to contact employees when the OSSBA notifies them when a new unemployment case has been made.

When a case has been made, Niko said she will immediately send an email out to the employee if they have an email address with Bartlesville Public Schools. She said she follows up with a letter to the address they have on file for the employee. Getting everyone contacted in a timely manner is what matters most.

Dr. Stephanie Curtis, the Executive Director of Personnel & School Support for Bartlesville Public Schools, said the district has contracted with the OSSBA's Employment Services. She said they handle the claim, but BPS has to verify whether or not the person that filed for unemployment works (or worked) for the district and how much they made.

The OSSBA has been a life saver for Bartlesville Public Schools. Dr. Curtis said they do not work directly with the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. Rather, the OSSBA runs the interference for the district because the OSSBA is the expert when it comes to unemployment. Dr. Curtis said the OSSBA saves the district time and resources that they can devote to other items.

Employees with Bartlesville Public Schools that have had someone file fraudulently for unemployment in their name have been asked to send a letter to the OSSBA attorneys. Niko said the district would also ask for a copy of that letter which states that a fraudulent claim has been filed using their personal information. She said they would need to contact the OESC Fraud Department directly to let them know that a claim had been made fraudulently.

There is also an Attorney General's Unemployment Fraud form that the employee needs to fill out. Niko said the employees should call local law enforcement to file a police report, too. Other steps employees have been recommended to take include:

• Report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission and follow their Personal Recovery Plan
• Monitor credit cards and bank accounts closely (i.e. Experian, TransUnion, Equifax)
• Contact the major credit bureaus to put a fraud alert or freeze on their credit report
• Contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit and ask if they need to complete the IRS

Niko said it is scary to not know to what extent your information has been compromised and how the people who have your active credit information or going to use it. She said it really starts to break down your trust in the system when you have to give your personally identifiable information to a bank, a credit card company or an employer; it degrades the trust involved in the process.

In addition to substitutes that work on an as needed basis, Bartlesville Public Schools has 750 to 800 people that work for the school each month. Niko said they really feel for their employees that have to go through the unemployment fraud process. Dr. Curtis said they feel for anyone in Oklahoma that has to go through this daunting process.