Video Series: Fraud Fighters
- BY FGA
Food stamp fraud exists, and defrauding the taxpayers is not a victimless crime.
Fortunately, the taxpayers have an important force on their side: an army of investigators, accountants, and enforcement officers—the Fraud Fighters. The Foundation for Government Accountability recently launched a video series highlighting the good work of many of these Fraud Fighters, their stories, and what’s at risk if nothing changes.
The stakes in this battle are high, with an error rate in food stamps above 10 percent, as many as one in seven retailers engaged in benefits trafficking, and an incredible $11 billion wasted on overpayments last year alone.
This battle isn’t over—the Farm Bill in Congress stands in front of us as an opportunity for lasting change.
Wyoming: Dawn Royal
“There are a lot of needy people who need help. We’re looking for the greedy people who are stealing from the needy.”
According to Dawn Royal, a certified welfare fraud investigator in Wyoming, the real story of fraud and abuse is even worse than the widely reported numbers.
North Carolina: Greg Matthews
“A few bad apples, a few bad seeds, really ruin the program for those who need these benefits.”
As a program integrity investigator in North Carolina, Greg Matthews has seen EBT skimming, duplicate claims in multiple states, and stores blatantly accepting cash payments to look the other way on fraud.
Kansas: Laura Lindsey
“As a taxpayer, it’s very frustrating to know how much money is going out that isn’t needed. (…) They’re not holding people accountable.”
The latest scam Laura Lindsey is fighting is the skimming and cloning of EBT cards, but she’s seen it all over the past 10 years: overpayments, lies, and the outright sale of benefits for cents on the dollar.
Florida: Jack Heacock
“We’re here to protect the people who are most vulnerable in our society. To keep them from being scammed [by] crooks and thieves who will steal their benefits.”
To Jack Heacock, the former director of Florida’s division of public assistance, program integrity is really about enforcing the rules and preventing people from cheating—and most importantly, it’s about protecting the people who need these programs the most.
There’s much more on our YouTube channel, and stay tuned for more videos in this ongoing series.
