OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — New reports released by the state auditor’s office say the amount of fraudulent unemployment benefits distributed in Washington during the height of the pandemic was likely higher than $647 million.
One of the reports said the ongoing notifications from Washington residents that unemployment claims were filed with their stolen personal information “indicates the actual extent of misappropriation is greater than the Department has been able to capture so far.”
The auditor’s office said the total number can’t be confirmed until the department finishes working through questionable claims, but indicated that the amount could be over $1 billion.
The department said that the higher number “represents a gross mischaracterization of possible fraud loss.”
The department says it has recovered $370 million from the fraud that hit Washington state’s unemployment benefits as the coronavirus pandemic was growing.