Don’t let your guard down to identity theft. UAB IT and UAB Human Resources have seen a rise in fraudulent claims for unemployment compensation. As we near tax season, your personal information is at a greater risk.

Things to watch for:

• You should never be asked to share personal information such as your social security number, password, or account number via an email, text, or unsolicited phone call.
• Keep an eye out for any letter or notifications seeking your information for unemployment benefits or tax returns that you did not request.
• Be cautious of phishing or vishing messages acting as an official department or organization seeking personal information.

What to do:

• Visit Alabama Department of Labor to report suspicious activity in unemployment compensation benefits.
• Use the identity theft report to file a police report with your local authorities, if desired.

As a reminder, UAB IT blocks the sending of emails from @uab.edu email addresses if the messages appear to contain Social Security numbers or credit card numbers. W2 forms and other tax documents including SSN’s will be blocked.