Six arrested in Burbank for EDD scam, found with $40K cash, gun

BURBANK, Calif. (KABC) -- Burbank police arrested six people in an unemployment scam involving California state benefits.

Officers were called to a Bank of America branch around 11 p.m. Saturday due to what they only described as suspicious activity.

After investigating, they took six people into custody and found them with 40 stolen benefit cards from the California Employment Development Department, along with $40,000 in cash and a loaded gun.

Fraud and scams related to EDD benefits have been on the rise this year, as the state agency handles an unprecedented number of unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police in Riverside say they are currently investigating more than 200 cases in a recent unemployment mail scam.