The Pennsylvania inspector general has been busy. They are actually always busy when it comes to tracking down fraud. But Pennsylvania has some news to boast about. On June 25, 2024, Inspector General Lucas Miller announced that in the months of April and May of 2024, the state of Pennsylvania filed public assistance fraud charges against ninety people.
In total, the defendants owe $716,496 in restitution to the commonwealth. But what makes SNAP fraud so expensive is not just the stolen funds. Recent studies show that for every dollar lost to a fraudster costs the United States about $4.00 in retrieving stolen proceeds. Not to mention, eligible SNAP recipients who have had their benefits electronically stolen on or after October 1, 2022, will be able to replace their stolen SNAP benefits through federal funds, provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. So, $716,494 in stolen SNAP benefits amounts to a $4 million to the U.S. taxpayer. Give or take a few dollars.
In 2023, more than six hundred people were charged with SNAP fraud and still more than $3 million is owed in restitution for that year. At the rate 2024 is going, fraudsters stand to steal more than $4 million from the U.S. taxpayer. Fraudsters breaking records left and right. Miller stressed that these bad actors make up a small number of the overall recipients. About 1% or 2% of SNAP beneficiaries. The state of Pennsylvania alleges that charged individuals either trafficked their public assistance or misrepresented their household circumstances and fraudulently received taxpayer-funded public benefits to which they were not entitled. Either way, those that are caught will be temporarily disqualified from receiving the benefits they allegedly defrauded, which will save the state more money. Good news.
Shout out to all United States Inspector Generals and their offices. These offices work hard to prevent fraud.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article is based on “90 people charged in Pennsylvania SNAP benefits, public assistance fraud worth $716K” published by CBS Philadelphia on June 25, 2024
The Pennsylvania inspector general filed public assistance fraud charges against 90 people in April and May, state officials announced Tuesday.
In total, the defendants owe $716,496 in restitution to the commonwealth, according to the Office of State Inspector General. They will be temporarily disqualified from receiving the benefits they allegedly defrauded, which will save the state more money, according to the announcement. The inspector general has filed felony charges against 85 of the defendants and misdemeanors against five others.
