Elizabeth Stoll doesn't usually find anything troubling in her Mira Mesa mailbox, but on Monday that changed.
"Nine envelopes from the Employment Development Department came to the house for four different women," said Stoll.
She had never heard of the women and no one from her home was expecting unemployment assistance. The day after the letters came, she got another letter, this time with one that felt like it had an EDD debit card.
"I just feel bad because if these are real people missing their unemployment money...it could be life-changing for them," said Stoll.
Stoll says she has lived in her home for 25 years so, the letters are not meant for someone who once lived at her address. She says she checked Facebook looking for the women, she even tried to call the state EDD offices but couldn't reach anyone. Stoll said she never even considered opening the letter or using the debit card.
"That would not be right at all," said Stoll.
The Employment Development Department said they have heard of people getting multiple letters and are investigating the cases as possible fraud. They encourage people to report the problem.
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A statement sent to NBC 7 Responds from the California Employment Development Department reads:
“It’s extraordinarily unfortunate that fraud has increased during this pandemic and individuals are exploiting the very efforts California and all other states are taking to issue benefit payments as quickly as possible to workers impacted by this historic pandemic. The EDD’s investigation team is aware that people are receiving multiple pieces of EDD mail while asserting they have not filed an unemployment claim. Investigators are working with local, state, and federal partners in exposing fraudulent schemes at the core of these multiple claims, developing methods to stop and prevent such claims from being paid, and prosecuting the unscrupulous offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
