Bogus Telephone Calls to DWS Unemployment Insurance Claimants

In the past few weeks DWS has received inquiries from several unemployment insurance claimants with overpayments regarding telephone collection calls. These claimants have valid liens on their property by DWS for the debts, however these telephone calls threaten the claimants with legal action, both criminal and garnishment, if they do not immediately pay off the liens and offer to settle their unemployment insurance related debt with DWS.

These telephone calls are not legitimate and are not from agency personnel. DWS does not use collection agencies to collect unemployment insurance overpayments. Anyone receiving telephone calls from a debt collection agency concerning an unemployment insurance overpayment should obtain as much identifying information from the caller as possible, such as name, telephone number and mailing address, and report this information to the Consumer Protection Division of the Arkansas Attorney General's Office (http://gotyourbackarkansas.org) and to Benefit Payment Control at ADWS.BPC@arkansas.gov.