JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hundreds, if not, thousands of unemployed Floridians say their unemployment accounts have been hacked in recent months, and payments have been rerouted elsewhere.
The Department of Economic Opportunity told First Coast News, “The Department does not have Reemployment Assistance fraud data readily available as investigations are ongoing.”
First Coast News presented a survey to unemployed Floridians on social media, and of the nearly 150 people who took the survey, 124 said their CONNECT accounts were hacked.
Jacksonville native Julie Delk says she’s out $700.
Delk said hackers continued to change her email, home address and banking information.
“The people hacked into my account and redirected payments that were going to my Way To Go Card, onto a different account,” Delk said. “I know I’m not the only one.”
“I saw that and was like no, no, no, no, no,” Delk said. “I was so upset.”
Now Delk said she’s been left in the dark.
“I’ve had people tell me ‘I was hacked and haven’t gotten a response back, let alone get my money back,” said unemployment expert Vanessa Brito.
In the last two months, Brito said she’s been contacted by about 1,000 people for help with their hacked accounts.
Though you can’t stop hackers from trying, Brito says there are measures you can take to try and protect your payments.
Brito says hackers typically change account information just before the connect system shuts down the night before you receive benefits.
“By the time the claimant gets the email, it’s already too late,” Brito said. “And the payment is processed the next day.”
That’s why Brito said on that day, stay on your CONNECT account up until CONNECT shuts down for the night, to make sure the hacker doesn’t sneak in.
“From 7:55 to 8 pm, just keep refreshing your CONNECT screen,” Brito said.