Orange City, Iowa — The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office wants you to be aware of a scam they have discovered.
Sheriff’s Office officials tell us that over the past several days, their office and other local law enforcement agencies have received reports of suspicious letters being received by area residents. The letters appear to be sent by “Iowa Workforce Development” for unemployment claims, and some may include correct information, such as the last four digits of your social security number, current employer, and current wages.
The letter will ask you to participate in a phone hearing to receive unemployment benefits and may include a warning of non-compliance of requirements for unemployment benefits. They say the letters are being received due to fraudulent unemployment claims, made on your behalf.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone to be cautious of unsolicited letters or phone calls regarding personal information. You are also reminded to safeguard all of your personal information. They tell us they recommend using a credit monitoring service, either through your local bank or through trusted online services. They tell us that a few of the ones they trust are Equifax, TransUnion, or Experian.
Sheriff’s office personnel tell us these scam attempts remain under investigation by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and investigators with Iowa Workforce Development. If you receive a suspicious letter in relation to this scam, or have any further questions or information, please contact the case officer on these incidents, Deputy Jake Harmelink at 712-737-3307 or email at jacobh@siouxcounty.org.
