SC to lead National Fraud Prevention

South Carolina has been chosen as one of five states to help lead the nation in preventing unemployment fraud. The state Department of Employment and Workforce was selected for the Unemployment Insurance Integrity Task Force, Integrity Center of Excellence.  The Palmetto State will work with Colorado, New Jersey, Ohio, and Washington to see how states can share information and best practices about combating and preventing fraud.  As part of the Integrity Center of Excellence process, the workforce agency was awarded a yearlong grant for $1.8 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to focus on fraud prevention and integrity.  One of the reasons the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce was chosen to lead the country is the automated system it devised to cross-reference employee wages and people collecting benefits. The number one cause of improper payments and fraud is people still filing for unemployment benefits when they are re-employed.