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Town of New Gloucester
385 Intervale Road, New Gloucester, ME 04260
(207) 926-4126 (phone) / (207) 926-4136 (fax)
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Town of Poland
1231 Maine Street, Poland, ME 04274
(207) 998-4601 (phone) / (207) 998-2002 (fax)
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 Steps to Investigate, Prevent, and Stop Fraud
The Maine Department of Labor announced steps it is taking to investigate, prevent, and stop fraud perpetrated by criminals.
Maine, like many other states, is seeing an increase of intentionally fraudulent unemployment claims over the past two months amid the rise in overall unemployment insurance claims due to COVID-19. This practice, known as impostor fraud, occurs when a person's personally identifiable information (PII) is used illegally to apply for unemployment benefits.
Criminals use PII stolen from outside data breaches or other illicit means to create fraudulent unemployment claims in hopes that the innocent people whose information has been compromised never know that a claim was filed using their identity. Unemployment fraud is not only a risk to the individuals whose identities were stolen, but also to employers who fund the payment of benefits through taxes.
The Department paused benefits for 48 hours last week and reinstated its normal 10-14 day processing time for initial unemployment claims, which was expedited to seven days in response to unprecedented demands of COVID-19, to investigate and prevent fraud and further enhance security of the unemployment system.
These steps come as Maine, like other states, partners with the federal government to combat fraudulent activity. The Maine Department of Labor is working with the Offices of the United States Attorneys, Office of the Maine Attorney General, Maine State Police, Maine State Treasurer, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI are working together to investigate and stop the fraudulent unemployment claims. In Maine, the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General are spearheading the federal investigative effort.
In addition to the steps outlined above, Maine has joined a state-federal task force to detect and prevent fraud and is also:
- coordinating with financial institutions to identify suspicious accounts;
- reviewing system changes needed to increase fraud detection; and
- blocking Web addresses linked to fraud here in Maine and in other states.
If you believe that someone else has used your information to file a fraudulent unemployment application, please notify the Maine Department of Labor immediately at https://www.maine.gov/unemployment/idtheft/.
Suspected fraud can also be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form or (866) 720-5721.
If you think someone is using your personal information to open accounts, file taxes, or make purchases, visit https://ww.identitytheft.gov/ to report and recover from identity theft. Additional identity theft resources can be found at https://www.maine.gov/ag/privacy/identity_theft.shtml or https://www.ftc.gov/faq/consumer-protection/report-identity-theft/.
The Department of Justice put out a press release on unemployment fraud this on May 26.
Secretary of State Reopens Bureau of Motor Vehicles by Appointment
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles reopened to the public, by appointment only, yesterday, June 1.
Twelve of the 13 BMV branch offices, as well as the central office at 101 Hospital Street in Augusta, opened to process transactions by phone or in-person by appointment only. To ensure adequate staffing levels at the branch offices, the Springvale BMV branch will be closed until further notice, and mobile unit visits will not resume at this time.
Those who need to complete transactions, such as registration renewals and replacements, license and ID renewals and replacements, over-limit permits, and duplicate titles are encouraged to continue to use the online services at https://www.maine.gov/sos/online_services/ whenever possible.
For processes that cannot be completed online, the public should call the appropriate division https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/numbers/index.html or motor vehicle branch https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/locations/index.html, as many transactions can be completed by phone. BMV staff will answer phone calls in the order they are received, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and will assist callers with online services, complete transactions over the phone when possible, and schedule an in-person appointment when necessary, either at the main office or their local branch office.
Visit the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles Web site for a listing of BMV transactions that will require an in-person appointment. at https://www.maine.gov/sos/news/2020/CustomerAppointmentTransactionList.pdf. The following transactions will not be available for processing at this time, as the BMV staff focus on the most urgent business at hand.
- REAL IDs -- There is a federal extension in place until October 1, 2021 and current licenses and IDs remain valid for domestic air travel.
- non-essential changes, such as changing a photo on a valid license, changing registration plates on a valid, and unexpired registration
- Excise tax will not be collected at branch offices. (exception: unorganized territories)
If an in-person appointment is required and scheduled, all patrons will be asked to confirm upon arrival that they have not been exposed to COVID-19, and will be required to wear a face mask or other appropriate face covering during their visit, to be removed only for license and ID card photographs.
Entry to BMV offices will only be open to those who have a scheduled appointment, and the public is asked to make their visit alone unless they are disabled and require assistance or are accompanying a dependent who requires BMV services.
The Bureau is providing personal protection equipment for BMV employees, installing physical barriers to maintain distance, and implementing increased hygiene procedures in an effort to conduct business safely during this pandemic.
Motor vehicle exams also resumed on June 1, with priority for commercial driver's license applicants. The BMV is scheduling exams in the order the requests were received, beginning with those that were cancelled due to the Bureau closure. Applicants do not need to contact the BMV, as they will be scheduled automatically and receive notice via mail.
Driver’s license applicants seeking to take the written driving examination to receive their driving permit can access the application and other information online at https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/licenses/getlicense.html. Those seeking to schedule their road test should send in their driving hours log (if applicable) and their request postcard; or a letter with your name, date of birth, and address, requesting to be scheduled for a road test.
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
Are you a farmer or rancher whose operation has been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19.
The USDA is accepting applications now through August 28, 2020. Producers should apply through the Farm Service Agency at their local USDA Service Center.
About the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP, provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 and face additional significant market costs. Eligible commodities include:
- non-specialty crops: malting barley, canola, corn, upland cotton, millet, oats, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, durum wheat, and hard red spring wheat;
- wool;
- livestock: cattle, hogs, and sheep (lambs and yearlings only);
- dairy; and
- specialty Crops: fruits (apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes, and watermelons), vegetables (artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, dry onions, green onions, peppers, potatoes, rhubarb, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, and taro), nuts (almonds, pecans, and walnuts), as well as beans and mushrooms.
To learn more about the CFAP, download the final rule, notice of funding availability, and cost-benefit analysis.
In the News
May 19, 2020: USDA Announces Details of Direct Assistance to Farmers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
April 17, 2020: USDA Announces Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs
On May 29, my colleagues and I who serve on the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs convened at the State House. Although the building is closed to the public, citizens were given the opportunity to listen to proceedings online.
Topics discussed included the impact of the Covid-19 economic shock and federal stimulus funding. Additional meeting details and other related materials can be found online here.
Other legislative committees will be convening over the coming weeks. To learn more, click here.
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