An estimated $39.2 billion in funds handed over to states through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act were paid out improperly, according to Department of Labor inspector general’s report released in May 2021. Much of that was tied back to fraudulent activities.
Since then, the longstanding challenge of identifying and stopping fraudulent claims and payments doesn’t appear to have improved, according to a new StateScoop special report. The report notes that Colorado identified $73.1 million in potentially fraudulent benefits payments between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021, while Ohio filled approximately $477 million in fraudulent unemployment assistance claims over a similar period.
