GASTONIA, N.C. — Gastonia Police are warning of a recent spike in people's identities being stolen to apply for unemployment benefits.
According to the city's human resources department, 16 employees -- including a city councilman -- were affected. The city's director of communications, Mary Elliott, said they've heard other North Carolina cities are experiencing the same problem.
Gastonia City Councilman Jim Gallagher said he immediately called his full-time employer and the city when he got a letter in the mail notifying him about unemployment benefits, which he never requested.
"I am still with the city! I haven't gotten voted out," Gallagher laughed as he recalled his conversation with Gastonia's human resources director. "I was pretty shocked thinking someone is this brazen."
Gastonia Police Department spokesman Rick Goodale said they've seen a spike in these specific identity thefts just in the last week.
"We've had enough that it's becoming alarming, that this may be a trend," Goodale said. "You got to report it to the police so that we can investigate. There is a chance we can identify some suspects."
The North Carolina Division of Employment Security (DES) said since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment fraud has become more common because states are processing many new claims at one time.
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to the Defenders team by emailing money@wcnc.com.
Since getting his letter, Gallagher received a crash course in identity theft prevention.
Besides reporting to the police, Gallagher's had to alert the IRS, request a credit freeze from four different credit bureaus, notify his banks, and change the passwords to all of his online accounts.
"It's a shame that it goes on nowadays," Gallagher said. "It takes a lot of your time, and I know I'll be monitoring my accounts over the next few weeks, more so than I normally do."
He's also paying for identity protection and internet encryption to protect his online banking data, and he urged people to be proactive in making those investments.
Gastonia Police also recommend people avoid taking any social media quizzes that ask for personal information -- like one's maiden name or elementary school -- that could be answers to common security challenge questions.
North Carolina DES has more information about unemployment fraud and identity theft here.
Contact Brandon Golder at bgoldner@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.