Somali scammers allegedly stole almost as much in Minnesota as entire Somalia GDP
Opinion by Harold Hutchison • 10h
The amount of fraudulent billing in Minnesota’s Medicaid programs could be as high as $9 billion, Assistant United States Attorney Joe Thompson said Dec. 18.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the agency was already sending additional resources in an X post Sunday, saying the deployment occurred before a 42-minute video of independent journalist Nick Shirley visiting various day care centers went viral Friday. Thompson described the situation as involving “industrial-scale fraud,” according to CBS News Minnesota.
“When I say significant amount, I’m talking on the order of half or more, but we’ll see,” Thompson said. “When I look at the claims data and the providers, I see more red flags than I see legitimate providers.”
Somalia’s GDP was $11.97 billion in 2024, according to a release from the country’s Bureau of National Statistics. Whistleblowers in Maine and Ohio have alleged similar schemes by Somali scammers have taken place in those states.
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