[Background image: Picture of Carly, a Customer Service Representative]
[Narrator speaks]
Hi, I’m Carly, a Customer Service Representative for the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance Program.
In this video, I’ll talk about your password – how it’s used, the importance of keeping it secure and some tips for creating it.
[Narrator speaks]
Your password is the key to doing business with us. With it, you can securely access your account, request payments, check your remaining balance, and maintain your contact information.
Your password will also help you more quickly reach a Customer Service Representative by phone, if you have a question you can’t answer from your account.
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Your password ensures that only you can access your benefit account. It keeps your identity and private information secure from unauthorized users.
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Your password, along with your Social Security number, is also your electronic signature. When you log in to your account, you are electronically signing your name.
You are legally responsible for all activity that takes place in your account using your password. If you share your password with someone, such as a friend or family member, you are legally responsible for their actions.
[Narrator speaks]
Use a password that you can remember easily like a word or number, but that only you know.
Don’t use passwords that are easily guessed by others like your birth date or your cat’s name; and don’t share your password with others.
[Narrator speaks]
[Screen text: doggy5 (ok), don’t use - dogg y (space), doggy* (symbols), or doggy! (punctuation)]
If you create your password online, you can use letters and numbers, but no spaces or special characters, like symbols or punctuation.
[Narrator speaks] [Screen text: doggy5, DOGGY5, and Doggy5 are same password]
Your password will not be case-sensitive. This means you don’t have to remember if you used capital letters or not.
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If you create your password over the phone, you can only use numbers.
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If you have a mobile phone with a full keyboard, use only the buttons that you would press to make a phone call. Do not use the letter keys on the full keyboard.
Do not try to enter your password as if it’s a text message. Pressing a number key repeatedly on your keypad does not advance to the next letter shown on that key. Instead, it enters the number multiple times.
[Narrator speaks]
You will use the same password online or on the phone. If you created your password on the phone, it will be a series of six numbers. You can easily use these numbers as the password to access your account online.
[Narrator speaks]
If you created your password online and it includes letters, you will have to convert those letters to numbers in order to use it on the phone.
For instance, if the password you created online is D O G G Y 5 you would press the buttons on your phone that has each of those letters: 3 6 4 4 9 5
[Narrator speaks]
When you create or change your password, you’ll be asked to select a security question, such as “What was the name of your first pet?” We use your answer to your security question as another way to verify your identity.
For example, if you forget your password, you can create a new one online or by phone after answering your security question.
[Narrator speaks]
[Screen text: What was the name of your first pet? Fluffy, FLUFFY, fluffy]
Choose a security question and answer that are easy to remember. Like your password, the answer to your security question is not case-sensitive.
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I suggest that you keep the answer to your security question as secure as your password. Otherwise, someone could use it to change your password and access your account.
[Narrator speaks]
[Screen text: Remember and keep it safe | Avoid locked account: Customer Service must unlock, Identity must be verified, Temporary password mailed | Password does not expire: View your account information, Update your information]-
There are other reasons why it is important to remember your password and keep it safe.
If an incorrect password is entered multiple times, your account will be locked to protect your information. Because of the sensitivity of your data, to unlock your account, you’ll need to speak to a Customer Service Representative.
The representative will have to verify your identity before they can assist you. Usually, this can be done in a matter of minutes, but could take longer if the proper information is not available.
After your identity is verified, you will be sent a temporary password.
Finally, your Unemployment Insurance account and password do not expire.
This means that after you’ve stopped receiving benefits you can still log in to your account to view your payments and year-end tax information, update your contact information, or apply for benefits if you are unemployed again.
[Narrator speaks]
I hope this video answered some of your questions about passwords.
Remember: Your password and Social Security number are your electronic signature; keep your password in a safe place in case you need to access your account in the future; do not share your password, or the answer to your security question, with anyone.
[Narrator speaks]
Thank you for taking the time to watch this video. For more help with passwords, check out these resources.
If you have questions or need assistance, contact Customer Service; we will be happy to assist you.
[Screen text: Log in to Your Account | Contact Customer Service: 651-296-3644 (Twin Cities area), 1-877-898-9090 (Greater Minnesota), 1-866-814-1252 (TTY for the hearing impaired) | Links for more information: Using Your Password, Password Resets and Account Lockouts, Tips to Avoid Locking Your Account, Video Library]
