SEATTLE (AP) — The state of Washington has called in the National Guard to help process unemployment benefit claims as officials grapple with a backlog caused in part by a major fraud ring.
The troops will be deployed starting next week. They will be trained to resolve identity verification issues that have come to the forefront since the state announced it paid fraudulent claims of $550 million to $650 million. The state has so far recovered $337 million of that back.