The Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) announced April 7 an increased number of reports of phishing scams tied to unemployment insurance claims. The schemes involve scammers who impersonate the DLIR in text messages, emails, and social media posts that ask for personal information that is supposed to relate to unemployment insurance claims.
The department did not give specific data on the reports but reminded residents that the state does not ask for personal information via text. DLIR also said the official website for Hawaii unemployment insurance benefits is https://huiclaims.hawaii.gov/#/.
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal and state program that provides temporary monetary benefits to eligible laid-off workers who are actively seeking new employment. Qualifying individuals receive unemployment compensation as a percentage of their lost wages in the form of weekly cash benefits while they search for new employment.
The federal government oversees the general administration of state unemployment insurance programs. The states control the specific features of their unemployment insurance programs, such as eligibility requirements and length of benefits.
For more information on Kansas’ unemployment insurance program, click here. For information about unemployment insurance programs across the country, click here.
Additional reading:
- Unemployment insurance in Hawaii
- Unemployment insurance fraud in Hawaii
- History of unemployment insurance fraud in Hawaii
