The state Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) today announced it has received a substantial increase in reports of schemes tied to unemployment insurance claims. These phishing schemes attempt to impersonate the DLIR unemployment system in the form of text messages, emails, and social media posts that are coming from DLIR to phish for personally identifiable information.

“These phishing texts try to trick you into clicking on a link that takes you to a fake website that may look very real, some of the websites are virtually indistinguishable from ours except that the website address is incorrect,” said DLIR Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio. “The fake website will ask you to input your website credentials and personal information that the criminals can use to steal unemployment insurance benefits or for other identity theft schemes.”

The bona fide Hawaii unemployment insurance benefits website address is at https://huiclaims.hawaii.gov/#/.

Below are some recent examples of phishing schemes in the form of text messages reported to the DLIR:

The DLIR does not send text messages asking for personal information. To report fraud attempts, please call the Unemployment Insurance Call Center at  (808) 762-5751 or 5752 and select option 4. You may also report fraud to the National Center for Disaster Fraud by calling (866) 720-5721.

For more information please visit https://labor.hawaii.gov/blog/main/unemployment-insurance-assistance-fraud-info/ and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/national-unemployment-insurance-fraud-task-force.