PUBLISHED 10:56 AM ET May. 07, 2021 PUBLISHED 10:56 AM EDT May. 07, 2021 SHARE State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office is auditing New York's unemployment system amid concerns over fraudulent claims made during the COVID-19 pandemic. DiNapoli's office this week confirmed the audit, which began in mid-February this year, is underway. The review comes as New Yorkers have seen fraudulent claims for benefits made in their name as unemployment spiked during last year's shutdown to halt the spread of COVID-19 in New York. The economy in New York alone shed more than 2 million jobs. The sharp rise in unemployment led to a strain on the Department of Labor, which added bandwidth for its website and additional operators to handle questions and complaints over benefits.