The Biden administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) has been actively pursuing federal crimes related to COVID-19 relief funds, charging over 3,400 individuals and recovering $1.4 billion in stolen funds in the past three years. A report by the DOJ’s COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force (CFETF) highlighted their success in filing civil lawsuits and obtaining court judgments totaling over $100 million. Despite these efforts, it is estimated that fraudsters obtained around $283 billion from pandemic relief programs.
The CFETF established prosecutorial COVID-19 fraud enforcement “strike forces” in five states and a “National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force” to track down fraudulent activities. They also set up a “Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence” to utilize data products in detecting fraud across government agencies. However, challenges remain, with some targets invoking statute of limitations defenses and funding for fraud enforcement running out next year.
To address these issues, Senate Democrats have introduced the Fraud Prevention and Recovery Act, which aims to enhance funding for fraud enforcement efforts. The proposed legislation includes measures such as tripling funding for strike forces, increasing penalties in civil fraud cases, extending the statute of limitations on fraud cases, and establishing a Social Security number verification system. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco emphasized the importance of extending the statute of limitations and securing necessary funding for prosecutors to recover more fraud proceeds and bring offenders to justice.
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