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Massachusetts State Auditor finds over $4 million in public benefit fraud in three months

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BOSTON — In a quarterly progress report issued this week, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio said examiners within the office’s Bureau of Special Investigations found evidence totaling $4,049.552.22 in fraudulently obtained public assistance benefits and services.

“Most recently, our BSI unit released the Quarter 3 information for fiscal year 2023 – our office investigated a total of 1,407 cases and of those cases, 200 were completed with public assistance fraud identified,” said Auditor DiZoglio. “Our BSI team further investigates cases of public assistance fraud to help ensure those who truly need access to programs and services can find what they need, when they need it. The work of BSI investigators impacts every day working families to increase transparency, accountability and equity across state services and programs regardless of bank balance, family background or zip code.”

Under state law, BSI’s investigative authority extends to any assistance program administered by the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Children and Families, and the Division of Medical Assistance, which administers MassHealth (the state’s Medicaid program). Although the Department of Early Education and Care is not included in the BSI statute, BSI also works with EEC through a Memorandum of Understanding.

As a result of BSI’s investigations, public assistance fraud cases are referred to agencies for administrative action, fraudulent overpayments are recovered through civil agreements, individuals are disqualified from programs for specified periods of time, and cases are prosecuted in state and federal courts.

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2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Fed Up

    May 26, 2023 at 7:51 am

    The State enables this. They give anyone SNAP, the drug addicts sell their benefits for 50 cents on the dollar to anyone who is willing to fund their drug habits. The fraud is staggeringly higher than what’s being reported. This is what happens when the state throws your tax dollars at the problem it exacerbates it 10 fold. All the fake homeless people with signs saying ” homeless , hungry ” get SNAP and sell them for drugs.

  2. Ben

    May 26, 2023 at 12:12 pm

    96% of welfare funds go to women, but 80% of the funds are paid by men, and most women vote democrat. I know women who are abled bodies but don’t work because tyey get more from welfare and section 8 than they would working, because they aren’t skilled.
    This is getting worse and needs to be fixed….I am tired of paying for them and their rugrats because they decided to throw the childs father out of the house.

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