- While struggling Americans have received $650B in unemployment benefits during Covid-19, it’s estimated that at least $63B in payments have been improperly distributed to fraudsters including organized crime syndicates, jailed federal inmates and Nigerian scammers.
- Criminals took advantage of outdated technology overwhelmed by the surge in unemployment claims.
- The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, specially created to assist gig and self-employed workers, has been heavily targeted (95% of California’s fraud claims).
- Since some states now require video identification, fraudsters are using 3-D masks.
