LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Department of Commerce is warning the public of a phishing scam targeting former unemployment insurance claimants. Scammers are sending fraudulent emails that impersonate the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services in an attempt to steal personal information, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and PINs.

The scam emails contain links to a fake Wix website designed to look like the official ARKNET.arkansas.gov portal. These fraudulent sites are used to capture sensitive information from unsuspecting individuals.

The Department urges Arkansans to take the following precautions:

• Do NOT click links in suspicious emails.
• Do NOT enter personal information unless you are certain you are on an official Arkansas government website.

How to spot the scam:

• Official emails will only come from an @arkansas.gov address.
• The scam emails have been coming from random letters/numbers @ascend.wix.com.
• The scam email will direct you to www.ui.arkline.gov.claim.arkansas – it may look trustworthy but it actually leads to a fraudulent site at the following URL: https://arknetarkansas.wixsite.com/my-site-1
• Scammers may copy branding, but the State will never direct you to a site hosted on Wix.

The ONLY official websites related to unemployment insurance include:

• ezarc.arkansas.gov – Initial claims
• arknet.arkansas.gov – Weekly claims
• login.gov – ID verification
• launch.arkansas.gov – Job search

 “Protecting Arkansans from identity theft is our top priority,” said Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald. “We urge all claimants to remain vigilant, verify the source of any communication, and never provide personal information through unofficial websites.”