Funding also would be added across agencies to upgrade their identity verification and fraud prevention systems. Image: Tada Images/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffNewly offered legislation (S-4089) by the chairmen of three Senate committees would add funds for inspector general offices of several agencies and other programs involved with finding fraud in pandemic relief programs, recover funds and prosecute those responsible.
“Past underinvestment in basic government technology and the crush of demand during the pandemic combined with ill-considered decisions to take down basic fraud controls at the onset of the pandemic led to a significant degree of fraud and identity theft of emergency benefits,” says a fact sheet.
Funding would be added for the IG offices at SBA and Labor “for the express purpose of long-term hiring of investigators to pursue special cases of organized pandemic fraud and supporting the interagency strike forces led by the DoJ Chief Pandemic Fraud Prosecutor” which itself would receive additional funding.
Funding also would be added across agencies to upgrade their identity verification and fraud prevention systems and to enhance the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov site; for the Treasury Department’s Do Not Pay program to identify, prevent and recover improper payments and related fraudulent activity; and for the SSA’s program for verifying identity.
Among other provisions, the bill further incorporates prior proposals to expand and make permanent the anti-fraud data and analytics capability developed by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee and to make permanent the Do Not Pay program’s access to the SSA’s master file of deaths.
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