Auditor DiZoglio investigators find $1 million In Massachusetts benefits fraud

Alison Kuznitz

Investigators in Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s office uncovered more than $1 million worth of public benefits fraud from April through June, with the majority linked to cases involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The Bureau of Special Investigations detected fraud in 89 cases out of 1,552 cases it looked into during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, according to a report filed Wednesday with the House and Senate and posted to the Legislature’s website.

The goal of the BSI is to ensure taxpayer dollars supporting public benefits programs are “managed effectively so that programs are available to residents who truly need them,” the report states.

Investigators found $843,705 in SNAP fraud; $101,905 in fraud tied to the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children program; $46,049 in fraud connected to the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children program; and $22,996 in Supplemental Security Income fraud.

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,” according to the report. The bureau uncovered fraud totaling more than $4 million between January and March, a past report from DiZoglio’s office showed.