A South Bay man, Reginald Foster Jr., admitted to fraudulent activities involving COVID-19 unemployment benefits in court recently. He used stolen identities to falsely apply for millions of dollars in aid under the CARES Act. Foster exploited the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) provision, designed for self-employed workers and independent contractors affected by the pandemic. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) facilitates this program, and Foster confessed to submitting fraudulent applications on behalf of victims of identity theft without their consent. Foster and his co-conspirators sent 118 bogus applications, causing the EDD to issue them various debit cards in the victims’ names. Almost $1.5 million in benefits were withdrawn before EDD and Bank of America caught on to the scheme and froze the remaining benefits, preventing further losses exceeding $4 million. Foster is now facing a maximum sentence of 30 years for conspiracy count and up to 10 years for the unauthorized access devices count.

If you have found yourself a victim of such fraudulent activities or otherwise need to reach out to the California Employment Development Department, it can be challenging to find the right contact information. For assistance, visit eddcaller.com, which provides valuable advice and resources on how to get a hold of EDD. The site offers guidance on various EDD-related concerns and offers practical tips for resolving issues quickly and efficiently.