CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- An Alsip man is wondering what’s going on at the Illinois Department of Employment Security, after twice receiving debit cards intended for someone else, the most recent, his mother, who's been dead for nearly six years.
"...My mother passed away in 2015. We have a copy of the death certificate from the State of Illinois. They have to have a record of her being deceased," Joe Urbauer told CBS 2.
Joe Urbauer's mother, Shirley, according to IDES was just laid off from her job.
“Somebody’s got a flaw somewhere in their system,” he said.
Urbauer told CBS 2 a letter came stating “a debit card will be issued to you within the next 7 days." The notice also stated the department was requiring identity verification before the card could be issued.
The debit card came despite the family not sending back the request for identity verification.
An IDES spokesperson said the office does cross match claims against a death file list.
“To me it sounds like it’s an inside job, that somebody inside IDES knows how to get around the system and is working the system,” Urbauer said.
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This is not the first time Urbauer has seen something fishy from the IDES. Last December, he said the agency sent him the social security numbers of 14 strangers. He also received debit cards and unemployment letters intended for others he did not know, but addressed to him.
The Illinois Department of Employment Services is investigating the incident.