The Department of Workforce Services has a full time fraud detection division (aka the Public Assistance Overpayment Unit) to identify and recommend criminal prosecution of those who commit fraud. Currently, the Department employs several methods of detection and is developing new strategies every day to identify claimants who may be receiving unemployment benefits under fraudulent circumstances. Some information sources currently being used to detect fraud are: Public tips by telephone, mail or the Internet; State and National New Hire data from employers; Utah Employer Wage files; Claimant Eligibility Reviews and Audits; Automated matches with other government records; In person and on-site fraud investigations; and Interstate agreements.
Most of the Departments detection methods rely upon sophisticated automation systems but some still rely upon the efforts of skilled fraud investigators.