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How Use of the Do Not Pay System Can Prevent and Detect Fraud

In our January Fraud Alert, we provided a targeted selection of social security numbers (SSNs) to the Social Security Administration (SSA) for verification, and they confirmed 20,404 belonged to deceased people, but dates of death were not included. To conduct further analysis, we collaborated with the Department of Treasury’s Do Not Pay (DNP) system to match these 20,404 SSNs against various death data sources to determine the date of death for each SSN-owner.

Improper Payments vs. Fraud

Recent headlines state that $191 billion in pandemic unemployment insurance was lost to fraud. Not exactly. In this Department of Labor Office of Inspector General's Congressional Testimony, around $76 billion of that is classified as fraud. The rest of those funds are referred to as improper payments.

Fraud Alert Follow-up: Using the Do Not Pay system to strengthen program integrity

This update expands on our January 2023 Fraud Alert, which identified 69,000 questionable Social Security Numbers (SSNs) used to obtain $5.4 billion in potentially fraudulent pandemic small business loans and grants.

A little-known tax credit. A lot of potential fraud.

The CARES Act created a tax credit to keep employees on payroll during the pandemic. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently warned employers to look out for scammers using the credit to promise tax savings that are too good to be true.

What’s the government doing now to protect you from identity fraud?

Identity fraud has been rampant during the Pandemic. Our Identity Fraud Reduction and Redress Working Group provides insights agencies can use to keep you, your identity, and the benefits you deserve safe.

Sharing data tools across government to find fraud in pandemic relief funds.

The PRAC’s Data Sharing Working Group recently collaborated with subject matter experts from government agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia to share the data tools and techniques they use to help protect pandemic relief dollars.

Fighting COVID-19 fraud.

The Inspectors General (IG) community is committed to holding those who defraud the American public accountable. Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) and their investigators have been central in bringing charges against 250 of the 474 who allegedly defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, and Unemployment Insurance.

Self-certification procedures may increase fraud risk in pandemic response programs.

Two different pandemic response programs used self-certification by applicants as a primary requirement to determine eligibility and experienced increased fraud due to that requirement. The Small Business Administration (SBA) and Department of Labor (DOL) Offices of Inspectors General (OIG) found in recent reports that self-certification is a major fraud risk that cuts across program and agency boundaries.

Charged: PPP scammers.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that more than fifty people have been criminally charged with fraudulently obtaining loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).