HARTFORD, Conn — State lawmakers are asking some of the same questions unemployment claimants are asking. Now that they know people's bank accounts were changed on their Department of Labor accounts without their knowledge, where did the money go and when will they get reimbursed?
"I'm out a week of unemployment that I don't know when I'm going to see," says Kimberly Hall from Fairfield. "So, it's very irritating."
At least 700 Department of Labor accounts saw their banking information change without their knowledge. According to the governor's spokesperson, Max Reiss, it's less than 1/10th of 1% of the total number of claimants, but it's enough to raise lawmaker's eyebrows to question the security at the department of labor.
"It's not a small event for constituents that have had their weekly allocation of unemployment swiped," says State Senator Craig Miner. "In many cases, it's the difference between having food or not having food or paying other bills."
There is no sign of relief for claimants whose accounts were changed.
"She told me that I would unfortunately have to wait for my money because they don't release funds while the investigation is still pending," says Hill.
Senator Craig Miner and Representative Joe Polletta are calling for a public conversation to shed light on the scenario after FOX61 News broke the story Monday.
"I'm not blaming them because I have no way of knowing who is at fault and how many people it involves, but I do know that historically the information has been sketchy at best from the Department of Labor," says Miner.
The Department of Labor told FOX61 News they are not aware of any intrusions into CTDOL systems. Yet, they acknowledge that the DOL is working with state and federal law enforcement on this issue. Juliet Manalan, the Department of Labor spokesperson did not answer when people would see payments delivered to the right accounts. Senator Miner says the state should step in and reimburse people now.
"Unless someone definitively says that an individual defrauded the state and that they were trying to scam the state on their own account...the state probably should find itself in the same situation [as when the state pays people for losses in natural disasters] and make people whole," says Miner.
According to state statute, the DOL is required to notify both the auditors and the comptroller of loss. FOX61 news learned that the department did send the state a memorandum in accordance with state law. It's unclear how much money, if any, the state has lost and if the money will end up bouncing back to the Department of Labor or not. Wells Fargo has confirmed to FOX61 that the bank account numbers found on DOL accounts were invalid.
The date for a hearing has not yet been set. October is cyber security awareness month. The DOL says to:
• Use different passwords for your social media, banking, email, and other accounts.
• Change your passwords regularly
• Use strong passwords—upper and lowercase letters, symbols, and stay away from dictionary words.
• Monitor your accounts—if you had an email breach, more than just your email could be compromised.
If your account information has changed without your knowledge, you should reach out to the Department of Labor's contact center at http://www.filectui.com.
If you want your story investigated, share your story with us at share61@fox61.com