Reporting paid family and medical leave benefits fraud

If you believe someone is fraudulently receiving paid family or medical leave benefits, here's what you can do.

The Department of Family and Medical Leave’s (DFML) top priorities are maintaining the integrity of the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, protecting employees, and making sure that benefits are directed towards valid applications.  Limiting fraud while providing high-quality services is essential to maintaining program integrity. In the case of administering leave, program integrity means being able to ensure that leave is being taken for the right reasons at the right times and that the process is as seamless as possible. 

How to report fraud to DFML

The Department takes fraud allegations seriously. Fraud is knowingly misrepresenting the truth or deliberately concealing important information. If you suspect fraud related to PFML benefits or if you believe someone applied for benefits using your name or other personal information related to you, you can report it to DFML in two different ways.

• Call the Department’s Contact Center Fraud Reporting Line at [phone]
• Fill out the DFML Fraud Reporting form

The fraud reporting process is the same whether the person is using your name, the fraudulent application was submitted by someone you know, or the fraudulent application is coming from one of your coworkers or employees. 

You may report fraud anonymously, but you must provide some identifying information about the application, like the application identification number, the name of the person purportedly receiving the benefits, or the name of the person who you believe is committing fraud, and the specific details of the application that you believe are fraudulent. 

If any payments were made in your name as a result of identity fraud and associated with an application you didn’t file, it should not be recognized as income to you at the end of the calendar year. In addition, the fraudulent application should not impact your ability to collect paid leave benefits in the future. It is imperative, therefore, that if you believe you have been a victim of identity fraud in connection with PFML benefits, that you contact us immediately.  

If you believe you are a victim of fraud

If you believe your identity has been stolen and a fraudulent PFML application has been filed on your behalf, here are some additional steps you can take to protect yourself: 

1. File a police report with your local police department. Get a copy of the report that you can provide to creditors and credit agencies. 

2. Change passwords on your email, bank, and other personal accounts 

3. Set up multi-factor authentication on your personal accounts and devices  

4. Notify all credit card companies, banks, and other financial institutions where you do business. Tell them you are a victim of identity theft and ask them to put a fraud alert on your account. 

5. Get a copy of your credit report and dispute any fraudulent transactions. You can request credit reports online from the 3 major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and Transunion) or by calling [phone].  

6. Place a credit freeze with each of the 3 major credit reporting agencies. Call each of the credit reporting agencies at these phone numbers or visit their websites to freeze your credit. 

   1. Equifax: 800-349-9960 or freeze your credit online 

   2. Experian: 8883973742 or freeze your credit online

   3. TransUnion: 888-909-8872 or freeze your credit online 

7. Place a fraud alert on your credit file. You can do this by contacting just 1 of the credit agencies to add an alert with all 3 agencies. 

8. Take notes about all conversations and keep copies of all records

Other helpful links

• The Massachusetts Attorney General's office has information about reporting identity theft and protecting yourself 

• The Federal Trade Commission has a step-by-step guide on how to report identity theft and create a recovery plan 

• The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation offers a consumer checklist for handling identity theft as well as a consumer guide to scams 

• Learn how to protect yourself against COVID-19 scams 

Last updated:	February 1, 2023