US watchdog admits $46 BILLION in pandemic unemployment benefits was stolen by fraudsters using the SSNs of DEAD people and prisoners - year after saying it was just $16billion
The inspector general for the Labor Department on Thursday published a report into fraud during the pandemic, finding billions in false unemployment claims
Some 205,000 Social Security numbers that belonged to dead people were used to claim benefits
Other criminals took the Social Security numbers of criminals and used them to make claims
The office has opened 190,000 investigations related to unemployment insurance fraud, they said in the report
Separately, the Justice Department on Thursday said 1,000 people have now been charged for fraudulently claiming unemployment during the pandemic
By Harriet Alexander For Dailymail.com
Published: 23:43 EDT, 22 September 2022 | Updated: 08:18 EDT, 23 September 2022
Fraudsters stole nearly $46billion in unlawful unemployment claims during the pandemic, the Labor Department concluded on Thursday - while warning that the actual figure may be even higher.
Criminals used inventive measures to access the COVID benefits, with more than 205,000 Social Security numbers that belonged to dead people being used to claim the cash.
Some schemes saw the Social Security numbers of prisoners being used, despite them being ineligible for the unemployment benefits.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11241391/Federal-watchdog-admits-45-6-BILLION-pandemic-unemployment-benefits-stolen-fraudsters.html
