Sophisticated fraud rings are operating a nationwide scheme taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to steal money in state unemployment benefits, including in Montana. The scammers file for unemployment benefits using data they have gained in other data hacks. Through these data breaches, they have obtained sensitive personally identifiable information belonging to their victims, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and social security numbers. The unemployment benefits are deposited into the victim’s account, or another account, and the scammers have the money forwarded to them.