What are the penalties for committing fraud while drawing unemployment benefits?
You will be charged with an overpayment of unemployment benefits, which you will have to repay in full before any further or future unemployment benefits can be paid to you. A fraud penalty may also be assessed against your current and/or next subsequent claim for unemployment benefits. This penalty may be a monetary amount of not less than four times your weekly benefit amount and not more than your maximum benefit amount deducted from your maximum benefit amount. A warrant for your arrest may be filed with the county sheriff in the county which you reside, for committing the act of fraud. The Unemployment Insurance Law provides that anyone found to have committed fraud in claiming unemployment benefits, whether such payment or benefit is received or not, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. If you are convicted in a court of law, each conviction is punishable by a fine of not less than $50 and not more than $500, or imprisonment for not longer than 12 months, or both. Each week claimed
