SAN DIEGO — Unsolicited mail from the state unemployment agency, EDD, continues to arrive in mailboxes across the state.
Pat Miller is retired and has never applied for EDD benefits in his life. Yet, Miller has received more than a dozen EDD debit cards and letters over the past several days.
“I initially received five from EDD saying I was eligible for unemployment and I knew I was not,” the Bay Ho resident said.
Some of the letters informed Miller that he was eligible for benefits.
“Today I get another letter that says here's your identification because you haven't activated your account and, by the way, your account is worth $17,550 and we'll give you $450 dollars a week,” said Miller.
And Miller is not alone. All over California, people are receiving unsolicited EDD letters and cards in the mail. Some of them are being delivered to vacant homes, or homes that are for sale.
Last month, Beverly Hills Police arrested more than 40 people and recovered 129 fraudulent EDD debit cards worth more than $2 million.
“They’re using people who are deceased, in jail, at nursing homes, or getting someone's personal information and entering that into the computer, which would then send a card out to their address,” said Lt. Max Subin with the Beverly Hills Police Department.
When Miller received the EDD letters, he decided to report the fraud on the EDD website.
“I never activated the card because I know it's a fraud,” Miller said. “I have a shredder. Somewhere down the line when I get word that everything's resolved, I'll shred everything.”
In a news release this week, EDD announced it is taking action to suspend or cancel suspicious, high volume claims filed at the same address.
EDD has a fraud hotline, but no agents are available to answer the calls. Instead, the agency is directing people to report fraud using an online tool.
