U.S. federal regulators say as much as $45.6 billion in unemployment benefits has been defrauded during the pandemic.

(Reuters)

[Financial Channel/Comprehensive Report] Federal regulators said on Thursday (22nd) that during the Wuhan pneumonia (new coronavirus disease, COVID-19) pandemic, people with a heart may use strategies such as the use of deceased people's Social Security numbers. , defrauded as much as $45.6 billion (about NT$1.4 trillion) from the U.S. unemployment benefit program.

About a year ago, U.S. authorities had uncovered nearly $16 billion in potential fraud, and a report by the Labor Department’s inspector general on Thursday showed that figure had risen by $29.6 billion, Reuters reported.

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Scammers have simultaneously filed billions of dollars in unemployment claims in many states, some of them using deceased and inmate statuses who didn't qualify for benefits, the report said.

The Social Security numbers of 205,766 deceased people have been identified and used to apply for pandemic unemployment insurance benefits.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland established the Pandemic Fraud Enforcement Task Force in May 2021 to investigate many fraud cases related to government relief programs, such as the Paycheck Protection Program, unemployment insurance and health insurance.

Earlier this week, federal prosecutors indicted 47 defendants accused of defrauding $250 million from a government aid program that was supposed to save money during the pandemic. Provide food to children in need.

The Justice Department said in March that there have been more than 1,000 crimes involving unemployment benefits during the pandemic.

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