LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Governor Asa Hutchinson revealed Tuesday that he was approved for unemployment benefits as part of a scam despite not being eligible for the pandemic assistance.
Hutchinson said he received a letter in the mail that approved him for unemployment and if he signed off on that, that check would go to the scammer's bank account.
The governor reiterated that anyone in Arkansas can be targeted by this scam and if you receive a letter even though you didn't apply it means someone is using your name to fraudulently collect unemployment assistance.
Secretary Mike Preston said the unemployment scam is a part of a national, or even international, attempt to defraud the system.
Preston said around 27,000 unemployment claims are currently on hold for potential fraud.
If you believe your name is being used as part of this scam, you are asked to email the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, call 501-682-1058, fill out a secure fraud reporting form, and to file a police report.