CHARLESTON — WorkForce West Virginia warns a fraudulent texting scam has been launched throughout West Virginia and the nation.

WorkForce officials say people are receiving text alerts that inform the recipient “there are issues with their West Virginia Insurance Claim,” a website link is provided for the recipient to click.

The site is fraudulent and is designed to look like the WorkForce website.

“There are bad actors out there attempting to get West Virginians to provide detailed personal information so they can hijack the claimants benefits. It is important to note that WorkForce never communicates with claimants by text,” said Scott Adkins, acting commissioner for WorkForce West Virginia.

The WorkForce fraud unit is cooperating with authorities to determine the source of this activity.

“Workforce continues to work to deliver benefits to those that qualify for them,” Adkins said. “What’s really unfortunate about this situation is that fraudulent claims slow down the process for folks who’ve lost their job, need help and have been waiting on an unemployment check.”

For more information, to report fraud, schedule a call with a WorkForce representative or access the online claimant system visit www.workforcewv.org.