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Unemployment Information

Fraudulent Benefits

Please see the update below from the Employment Security Department. Information from the ESD is changing quickly – we’ll keep you updated!

We have been notified that school districts across our state have been the target of fraudulent filings of unemployment benefits. Should you receive any notice from the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) that someone has applied for benefits using your information, or a notice regarding the Self-Employment Assistance Program (SEAP) and you did not initiate a claim, please immediately report to the ESD at https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment/unemployment-benefits-fraud and follow these steps as required by the ESD:

ESD Fraud Reporting Form


The following information is needed:

  • Your full name
  • Last 4 numbers of your Social Security number (never put your full SSN in an email)
  • Your address
  • Your date of birth
  • Brief description of how you found out an imposter-fraud claim was filed using your information
  • Please confirm: If an impostor-fraud claim was filed using your information, do you give ESD permission to deny and cancel it?


Step 2: Send an email to Shanna Cook, Executive Assistant, at cookss@puyallupsd.org. In the subject of the email add Fraudulent Claim.

Include the following information in the email:

  • Your full name
  • Last 4 numbers of your Social Security number (never put your full SSN in an email)
  • Email address
  • Your date of birth
  • Please confirm: If an impostor-fraud claim was filed using your information, do you give ESD permission to deny and cancel it?

In addition to the above, it is recommended you take these additional steps:

Step 3: File a Police Report

  • File an online or non-emergency report with the law enforcement agency who has jurisdiction over your home residence.
  • Start keeping a file folder or journal with the information from this incident, including any case numbers you are given. Some government services and accommodations are available to victims of identify theft that  are not available to the general public, such as getting certain public records sealed.


Step 4. Contact Major Credit Bureaus

  • Obtain your free credit report from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion at Annual Credit Report or by calling 1-877-322-8228.
  • Report to the credit bureaus that the fraudulent claim was made using your identity and provide them with the case number from your police report. You can have a fraud alert put on your identity or freeze your credit. Doing either is free by law.
  • A fraud alert is free and will make it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name. To place a fraud alert, contact one of the three credit bureaus.
    • Experian: 1-888-397-3742
    • TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
    • Equifax: 1-888-766-0008
  • Check your credit activity at least once a year. As a victim of identity-theft you have the right to check it monthly if you choose.
  • Credit Freeze - If you do not have upcoming large purchases, such as a home, you may want to freeze your credit for additional protection. It is free and you can do it yourself. More information about credit freezes can be found at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs.


Step 5. Contact the FTC and IRS

  • File a short report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and give them the case number for your local police report.
  • Consider setting up an IRS account. If you create an account with your Social Security number, it will better prevent criminals from creating an account using your identity.
  • Another option is to lock your Social Security number at https://www.e-verify.gov/employees. 

All of this reporting may seem redundant, but it helps ensure you are identified as a victim by local, state and federal government.

Step 6. Keep Your Notes

  • Maintain any notes, copies of emails, etc. This is the paper trail that you can reference if you face any identity issues or locate inaccuracies on your credit history sometime in the future.

For those who are not yet victims of a fraudulent claim, the ESD is recommending that those employees create a personal Secure Access Washington (SAW) account and connect it to the Employment Security Department - Instructions Here.

SAW is a portal to access several different types of state resources, one of which being Employment Security (ESD). This can be used to check previous quarterly wages as well as file for unemployment compensation. By doing so, an individual’s social security or identification number is connected to a login and no one else can log in with that number.  

Should you find that your social security number is connected to an unknown email address or an account and you did not file for benefits, it is possible there is a fraudulent claim in your name. Please follow steps 1-6 above.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Shanna Cook, Executive Assistant, at cookss@puyallupsd.org.