The Brief
Arizona is faring better than other states in tracking down money from pandemic unemployment fraud.
There is still nearly $4 billion unaccounted for, however.
Nationwide, the recovery rate of unemployment fraud money recovered is in the single digits, while in Arizona, that number is closer to 30%.
PHOENIX – Arizona investigators are still filing charges against criminals who stole pandemic unemployment money, but a new report from the federal government says states aren’t doing enough to claw back taxpayer money from those fraudsters.
We took a peek into how many dollars we’ve recovered here in Arizona.
The backstory:
Unemployment was a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Arizonans who lost their jobs in 2020.
They got help, but criminals exposed that system in what’s been called by some as the crime of the century.
Unemployment fraud impacting Arizonans
Local perspective:
At the height of the pandemic, we brought you Marisa Folz’s story.
One of the first identity theft victims of pandemic unemployment fraud, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES).