Millions in welfare fraud exposed in Auditor's report

BOSTON (WWLP) - State Auditor Suzanne Bump has identified millions of dollars in public assistance fraud.

Bump has released a report that finds more than $5.5 million in public assistance fraud in the fiscal year 2012.

Her office’s Bureau of Special Investigations completed more than 2,000 investigations in the last quarter. They identified nearly 550 people defrauding the state of benefits such as welfare, food stamps, childcare services, and health care. The report highlights several cases that have resulted in criminal charges, including the owners of a Holyoke store who were found guilty of exchanging food stamps for cash.

“But we’re seeing that the kind of fraud that’s taking place now is getting more sophisticated. It’s not just one individual, it’s groups of individuals, and so it gives us, you know, another way of looking at and going after fraud,” Bump said.

Auditor Bump says her office is seeing an uptick in food assistance fraud, but cautions that fraud represents about one percent of the money that is given out in total.

22 News will have a follow-up on this case on Tuesday.