The Maine Department of Labor continues its careful review of all claims as it investigates unemployment imposter fraud.

During the week ending December 5, the Department cancelled 518 initial claims and five weekly certifications that were determined to be fraudulent.

Unemployment imposter fraud is when a person's Personally Identifiable Information, or PII, is stolen and used illegally to apply for unemployment benefits. Maine is one of many U.S. states working in close collaboration with state and federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies to investigate and prevent it.