SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) - KRON4 has learned the Economic Development Department has been sending out several letters to people about pandemic relief.
The issue?
No one lives at the addresses where letters are being sent.
It comes as the department faces criticism for withholding money to nearly 400,000 people, and making payments to prisoners, who are not eligible for unemployment.
"I am a good person and don't want to see this system abused," Jose Alvarez reached out to KRON4 after receiving, not one, not two, but nearly 20 letters from the Employment Development Department.
"So, I started getting the letters, and then it just seemed weird."
Jose manages several apartments in the South Bay, putting him in a unique position.
"I look after and make sure that people get their packages, so when these letters came and they didn't belong to someone at the complex, I thought that was odd."
Additionally, a KRON4 employee received 5 letters addressed to a person with no ties current or in the past to the home.
And another KRON4 viewer reported that she received nearly 60 letters from the EDD.
Governor Gavin Newsom has already stepped in to deal with the department's woes.
In September, he launched a team to examine a backlog of claims.
Another eyesore, a Bay Area law enforcement agency unraveled a scheme where millions of dollars were being sent to incarcerated prisioners, inelgible for benefits.
And just this week, 400,000 accounts placed on hold over concerns of legitimacy, leaving many in a lurch for vital financial help.
As for the agency, they declined an interview to address this latest reported glarring error.
In a statement to KRON4, they wrote, "the EDD warns Californians that the department will not send representatiaves to your home and encourages you to help the department combat fraud by reporting it and using one of the following steps with any mail you may receive that does not pertain to you."
They went on to say that you can mail it back to them, or simply write "reply to sender" on the pesky pieces of mail sent to the wrong household.
As for Jose, he says he hopes this is all settled and corrected for everyone's sake.
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