Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency said October 13, 2026 that it is promoting online safety during Cybersecurity Awareness Month. It warned that this summer a phone scam had callers falsely claiming unpaid unemployment benefits were available for a fee. The agency says it never charges a fee to release benefits and never contacts people to demand payment or personal information.
Its tips: be cautious of unsolicited calls, emails, texts or social media messages claiming to be from the UIA, and verify by logging in to your MiWAM or MiUI account; never share your Social Security number, login or bank details in response to random contacts; use a strong, unique password for MiWAM or MiLogin; review your account regularly and report unfamiliar activity; and log out fully on shared computers.
Unemployment fraud or identity theft can be reported at Michigan.gov/UIA. The agency also lists free help for claimants, including an Advocacy Program that provides free legal help for unemployed workers and employers who appeal UIA redeterminations, online coaching sessions on topics such as understanding a Monetary Determination letter and the protest and appeals process, and language assistance in Spanish, Arabic, Albanian, Bengali and Chinese.