DOJ unemployment fraud referrals rise in 2015

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin labor officials referred 36 unemployment fraud cases to the state Department of Justice during the past year, up from six cases in 2014.

DOJ spokeswoman Anne Schwartz said in a news release Tuesday that the increase is due largely to her agency expanding its anti-fraud efforts. She says most of the referrals involved people who collected unemployment even though they were ineligible because they had found work but failed to report the income.

The news release says charges ranged from misdemeanors to felonies.