The United States has delivered hundreds of billions of dollars of public support during the pandemic through a familiar method: unemployment insurance. The latest stimulus package extends those benefits for several more months, providing crucial support for people in need.
But these huge flows of money have become a tempting target for scammers and cyber attackers who are using armies of stolen identities to steal billions of dollars from state programs.
In Colorado, the problem has manifested in a bizarre way for a contract delivery driver who is locked in a months-long battle to try to stop scammers. His story reveals how states are dealing with some fundamental flaws in their security systems, Colorado Public Radio’s Andrew Kenney reports.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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