BRIAN: -- MY -- FIRST >> MY FRUSTRATION HAS BEEN THE MEDIA’S FRUSTRATION.
YOU CAN’T GET ANSWERS.
THERE ARE EXCUSES THAT ARE BEING MADE.
BRIAN: THIS FRESNO ASSEMBLING AND IS FED UP WITH EDD AND WANTS ANSWERS IMMEDIATELY ABOUT THE FRAUD RELATED LETTERS POPPING UP ACROSS CALIFORNIA.
>> WE ARE ASKING FOR AN EMERGENCY AUDIT.
IT COULD HAPPEN QUICKLY.
BRIAN: HE HAS WRITTEN THIS LETTER SIGNED BY LAWMAKERS FROM BOTH PARTIES ASKING THE STATE AUDITOR TO LOOK INTO ALL OF EDB’S PROBLEMS FROM UNPROCESSED CLAIMS TO UNANSWERED CALLS TO
DECADES-OLD TECHNOLOGY.
>> THEY EITHER HAVE THIS INFORMATION OR THEY DON’T.
IF THEY HAVE IT, DISGORGE IT RIGHT NOW.
IF THEY DON’T, SHAME ON THEM FOR NOT HAVING THE TECHNOLOGY, ABILITY, EXPERTISE TO FIND THE ANSWERS.
BRIAN: AS WE FIRST REPORTED LAST WEEK, PEOPLE ARE FINDING THEIR MAILBOXES STUFFED WITH LETTERS FROM EDD THAT AREN’T INTENDED FOR THEM.
>> THIS IS 22 PIECES OF MAIL THAT I HAVE RECEIVED IN THE LAST WEEK.
ALL ADDRESSED TO MY PERSONAL HOME ADDRESS.
THEY HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT NAMES.
BRIAN: AMY HAS BEEN WAITING ON HER OWN UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.
SO FAR, THE ONLY MONEY SHE HAS RECEIVED DOESN’T BELONG TO HER.
>> I’M NOW HOLDING THREE DIFFERENT DEBIT CARDS FOR SOMEBODY WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE A CLAIM.
I DON’T KNOW HOW 22 PIECES OF MAIL ALL TO THE SAME ADDRESS WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE’S NAMES ON IT, I DON’T KNOW HOW THAT GETS PASSED SOMEBODY.
>> THIS SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BROKEN.
BRIAN: THEN THERE’S DAVID ROBERTSON.
HIS 19-YEAR-OLD SON FOREST APPLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT IN APRIL, FOUR MONTHS LATER HE WAS APPROVED FOR $167 PER WEEK.
IT WAS ALL STOLEN BEFORE HE COLLECTED A PENNY.
>> SHE CAN’T EVEN FIND HIS CLAIM.
WE GIVE HER THE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE ADDRESS HAS BEEN CHANGED.
THE PHONE NUMBER HAS BEEN CHANGED.
THE EMAIL HAS BEEN CHANGED.
HIS MIDDLE INITIAL HAS BEEN SCRUBBED.
HIS IDENTITY WAS STOLEN.
BRIAN: THE THIEVES WERE ABLE TO STILL ALMOST $15,000 FROM THE ACCOUNT.
WAY MORE THAN HIS SON WAS EVEN ENTITLED TO.
>> THE RESPONSE IS, WHERE DO WE GO FROM THERE?
HOW DO WE PROTECT MY SON’S IDENTITY?
THEY CAN’T ANSWER ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS.
CAN THEY TAKE A FRAUDULENT CLAIM AT THAT TIME?
NO.
THE LADY IS UNABLE TO DO IT.
NOT HER FAULT.
YOU HAVE TO FAX IT IN.
I DON’T HAVE A FAX MACHINE.
I’VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 40 YEARS.
WHO USES A FAX MACHINE?
BRIAN: WE WERE ABLE TO ASK GOVERNOR NEWSOM ABOUT THE DEFRAUD DURING TODAY’S NEWS CONFERENCE.
WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WIDESPREAD THIS FRAUD MAY BE?
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE CALL FROM SOME LEGISLATORS FOR A SWIFT EMERGENCY AUDIT OF EDB TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF THIS FRAUD PROBLEM?
>> WE HAVE A BRAND-NEW TEAM, FIVE NEW PEOPLE.
FIVE NEW PEOPLE WITH FRESH PERSPECTIVES, NEW CAPACITY TO GET UNDER THE HOOD AND FIGURE THIS OUT IN REAL-TIME.
I APPRECIATE THE URGENCY.
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH LEGISLATIVE LEADERS IN THIS SPACE.
WE SHARE THE SAME GOALS AND URGENCY.
>> I WILL NOT MAKE THE CLAIM THAT IT’S AN INSIDE JOB.
I’M GETTING CLOSE.
BRIAN: HE SAYS IT WOULDN’T BE THE FIRST TIME SUCH A SCHEME HAS HAPPENED.
HE SAYS AN AUDIT IS THE ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT.
>> IT’S NOT WITHOUT POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THIS COULD BE FACILITATED ON THE INSIDE.
OTHER BUREAUCRACIES AND STATE GOVERNMENT HAVE SHOWN THAT THERE ARE SOME INDIVIDUALS INSIDE WHO TA