I was working and collecting unemployment, can I get in trouble?

by Steve
(Tucson, AZ)

I was collecting unemployment pay for a year in AZ, then moved to CA for work. I worked for 3 months in CA and was still collecting from AZ for those 3 months. I was wondering if I should tell them, or what can happen if they find out?


Hi Steve,

They will find out and it is unemployment fraud. Not a non-fraud overpayment, but due to fraud.

Click "Overpayments" for a state by state listing of how both fraud and non fraud overpayments are dealt with.

Some states include a possible long stretch of prison time .. although I doubt they'll throw a first time offender in the clink .. I'd hate to pay the interest that might be accrued.