-Angelot Ndongmo-

Cousins!

Rumor has it some folks are running around flossing after huge amounts of money were stolen from multiple COVID relief funding programs!

The US secret service recently announced that a minimum of $100 billion was stolen from relief programs, set up to help those who lost jobs or needed help with their businesses during the pandemic.

PBS reports during a recent interview, Roy Dotson, the agency’s national pandemic fraud recovery coordinator stated their guesstimate amount excluded fraudulent matters that the Justice Department had prosecuted. The incredulous amount was actually determined by Secret Service cases and data coming from the Labor Department and the Small Business Administration.

Dotson explained, “the sheer size of the pot is enticing to the criminals.” Approximately 3% of the 3.4 trillion dollars set aside for relief were spirited away into the pockets of thieves. He goes on to say that they were enticed by the sheer magnitude of funds and dispersed or stole these pandemic benefits.

He added “Can we stop fraud? Will we? No, but I think we can definitely prosecute those that need to be prosecuted, and we can do our best to recover as much fraudulent pandemic funds that we can.”

The lion share of alleged embezzled funds resulted from unemployment fraud; benefits improperly paid out, the Labor Department reported.

The Secret Service admits there are currently over 900 active criminal investigations of pandemic fraud, cases in every state and 100 arrests thus far. More than $1.2 billion was seized and more than $2.3 billion stolen funds were returned. They have been working hand in hand with financial partners and states to literally undo any illegal transactions that were made.

The Paycheck Protection Program was crawling with fraudulent activity, having inappropriately given out over $75 million in cash, which was also seized as well as any real estate properties and luxury items purchased with the stolen money. The Justice Department prosecuted more than 150 alleged offenders out of more than 95 criminal cases that were investigated.

March 2020 CARES Act was praised for its low-interest forgivable loans, there to help small businesses that struggled with expenses during pandemic lockdowns. The authorities are now in search of organized crime rings worldwide that sought to take advantage of relief made available.

Cousins, what are your thoughts on the stolen loot?