Albany, NY – New York’s comptroller says a new computer sleuth has stopped $90,000 in unemployment checks that were headed to New Yorkers apparently vacationing abroad this summer and to foreign scammers.
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State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli tells The Associated Press his office found the checks bound for Europe, Mexico, Vietnam and other foreign bank accounts through a computer filter installed in June.
That was put in place after the state Department of Labor noticed people were filing their weekly “recertification” of eligibility for benefits from internet IP addresses in other countries.
People in New York and some other states have for years been able to certify eligibility online after initially applying in person. It replaces in-person visits requiring recipients to show identification.
The labor department says it will tighten its controls.
Way to go! What chutzpa to claim unemployment while vacationing abroad. If you ain’t got de money you ain’t get the vacation!
oh ya! Aren’t you anyways on vacation? Your not working and paying taxes like me. I have no time to vacation abroad and my taxes won’t afford me that.
Way to go!
its like that in canada for a long time. As soon as they scan your passport upon exit, you are not eligible for benefits until you return.
It is unemployment benefits. They are >required< to be actively looking for work, and to be keeping a record of that search, etc, and to certify that they are looking. (I suppose that one could look from another country over the internet.)
What is a person supposed to do if he bought airline tickets months in advance for a once-in-a-lifetime trip abroad? Or to a family event overseas?
So, a vacation to the Catskills or Poconos is okay?? So is a vacation to Florida, Arizona, California etc.!! That is often much more expensive than an off-season vacation in Mexico or some Caribbean Islands (air and hotel)!! Cracking down strictly against affordable vacations while “allowing” domestic vacations is simply unfair.
The technology involved here is very basic, our website routinely flags orders that are placed from a Country other than the delivery address.
They should expand this to welfare checks, and to people shopping for fur coats, diamond rings, and Cadillacs.