Scams appear as area counties’ unemployment numbers skyrocket

At the end of March, almost the entire United States shut down businesses to attempt to stop the quick-paced spread of the Coronavirus; Marshall County included. Of course, along with the businesses shutting their doors, thousands of people became unemployed.

This surge in unemployed Oklahoma residents has forced the numbers of unemployed to skyrocket.

Reports show that there has been a spike of 2866 percent. That is not a typo, that is 2866 percent – in the thousandth percent.

Before the shutdown, Oklahoma unemployment claims were only at 1,569 people for the week ending on March 7.

Those numbers have gone through the ceiling to 44,970 for the week ending March 28. That is an increase of 43,401 in just three weeks; averaging over 14,000 per week.

Unfortunately, Marshall County and the surrounding counties did not come out unscathed by the unemployment hike.

According to Lynn Gray, the Director of Economic Research and Analysis for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, the numbers are just as staggering.

The hard data has not been completed yet, but Gray estimated the number of initial claims from Marshall, Bryan, Johnston and Love Counties for the weeks between March 15 and May 2.

The high estimates are 1,626 for Marshall, 2,822 for Bryan, 736 for Johnston, and 614 for Love.

Gray estimated the low amounts as 1,330 for Marshall, 2,309 for Bryan, 602 for Johnston and 502 for Love. Even if the low estimated numbers are reached, that leaves approximately 4500 initial claims for a three-week period.

As if residents worrying about staying healthy and unemployment was not enough, now there are scammers who are trying to get something for nothing during the pandemic. Marshall County Sheriff Danny Cryer said there is a new scam circling throughout Marshall County. Some people are making illegal claims for unemployment.

Cryer said even the Sheriff’s Office is not immune.

“We received a claim for unemployment off of two of our employees who is still employed through the pandemic, yet was contacted by unemployment saying there was a claim in her name.”

Cryer said this is a large-scale scam that is sweeping the state of Oklahoma.

For anybody who has found somebody else has fraudulently claimed unemployment in their name, go to http://www.oag.ok.gov/Websites/oag/images/ Unemployment%20Fraud%20Form.pdf and download the form to fill out and return.