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Widespread National Food Stamp Fraud Totals at Least $1 Billion, Could Be as High as $4.7 Billion
Washington Free Beacon ^ | February 17, 2019 | Bethany Blankley

Posted on 02/18/2019 10:49:45 AM PST by detective

Shortened title.

Full title: Report: Widespread National Food Stamp Fraud Totals at Least $1 Billion, Could Be as High as $4.7 Billion

According to a new report produced by the Government and Accountability Office (GAO), at least $1 billion in food stamp benefits are "trafficked annually," meaning they are fraudulently used. The extent of the fraud is uncertain, the GAO warns, estimating the abuse of the program could be as high as $4.7 billion.

About 20 million lower-income households receive benefits from the $64 billion Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, to buy food. But GAO found that instead of being used for food, many stores are defrauding the program by "selling" cash instead of food.

"For example, a store might give a person $50 in exchange for $100 in benefits – then pocket the difference," GAO explains.

The Food Nutrition Service (FNS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture oversees SNAP and is responsible for authorizing and overseeing retailers.

(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government
KEYWORDS: foodstamps; fraud
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To: Dilbert San Diego
Do we still have any work requirements, that able bodied people on public assistance are required to seek work? Or is that concept gone? Wasn’t that part of welfare reform back in the ‘90s, which Clinton claimed credit for? Has that unraveled?

I remember removing the work requirement was one of the first things that Obama did within days of being sworn in. I can't remember if that was for welfare or food stamps.

21 posted on 02/18/2019 11:42:47 AM PST by DungeonMaster (Vote your bible.)
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To: detective

And this is why the public schools offer free breakfasts, free lunches, free meals over summer, and backpacks to take home for the weekends. I have no doubt there are hungry kids out there, but it’s not society’s fault, it’s the parents’ fault.


22 posted on 02/18/2019 11:45:08 AM PST by hanamizu
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To: detective

Given my druthers, I’d kill Food Stamps entirely.

Instead, you get a card that allows you to get “x” number of prepackaged food boxes, containing staples. Say, a family with 2 small children, would get 3 veg/fruit boxes, a grain box, a dairy box, and a meat box. A week’s worth of boxes would feed people nutritionally complete meals for 9 days, and you could get up to two weeks’ boxes at a time. . .

The food might be dull and generic, but if you want better. . . go out and get a job.

Plus, people could buy extra boxes, to donate, or to keep as emergency food. .


23 posted on 02/18/2019 12:07:16 PM PST by Salgak (You're in Strange Hands with Tom Stranger. . . .)
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To: hanamizu

Yep school provided meals should come out of the Food Stamp pay.


24 posted on 02/18/2019 12:19:08 PM PST by Mark was here (Fake news = "Hands up ... Dont shoot")
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To: entropy12

This set me thinking about something. Knowing how notorious gov’t. “estimates” are about other things, & they are saying that fraud in this program is at least a billion dollars or possibly as high as 4.7 billion....why couldn’t the amount of fraud be at least 15 billion or even higher? Who knows? Gov’t. accounting seems to have attended the same school/classes that Alexandria Cortez did.


25 posted on 02/18/2019 12:31:30 PM PST by oldtech
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To: detective

Go to any grocery store in a big city and you will food stamp fraud everyday. Ask a cashier at a Kroger if they have any power to stop fraud. If the register rings it up and takes the card, the food stamp scammers get away with it.


26 posted on 02/18/2019 12:41:05 PM PST by EC Washington
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To: detective

Gee, that’s just a drop in the fraud bucket.

https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/medicare-fraud-costs-taxpayers-60-billion-year/story?id=10126555

https://www.nationalreview.com/2016/09/medicaid-fraud-staggering-cost-140-billion/

That’s 200 billion right there. How many walls could you build with 200 billion?


27 posted on 02/18/2019 12:50:03 PM PST by Fresh Wind (Trump: "America will never be a socialist country!")
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To: entropy12

If President Trump built that wall, how would those who come here to commit EBT/Welfare fraud get into our country?


28 posted on 02/18/2019 2:23:47 PM PST by Pollster1 ("Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed")
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To: detective

Form of reparations the government rats already know about and are responsible for


29 posted on 02/18/2019 3:21:41 PM PST by ronnie raygun (nic dip.com)
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To: Salgak

Exactly. Better yet, just give them MRE’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Watch how fast they get a job


30 posted on 02/18/2019 3:46:48 PM PST by Bommer (Help 2ndDivisionVet - https://www.gofundme.com/mvc.php?route=category&term=married-recent-amputecan')
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To: detective

Food Stamp fraud has been going on forever. I live in Mississippi, the food stamp capital of the universe. 40 years ago when I was a child I remember being in the local country store and seeing people exchange $20 in food stamps for $10 worth of gas or beer. The going rate has always been 50 cents on the dollar. It still works the same today even though they now have EBT cards instead of actual stamps. Large stores have scanners and they’re harder to scam, but none of the small country stores use scanners, they ring up things by hand so they just double the price and push the food button on the cash register instead of ringing it up as alcohol, tobacco, or gas. They then swipe the EBT card and pocket the difference. It’s every bit as easy to scam as it ever was and they hardly ever get caught because they only do it with repeat local customers they know aren’t inspectors.


31 posted on 02/18/2019 4:16:59 PM PST by GaryCrow
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To: oldtech

Gov’t cost estimates are notorious for being crazy low. Medicare costs are something like 25 times higher than original estimates when Medicare law was passed.

PDJT gave everyone a chance to fund the wall. Paul Ryan failed. McConnell failed. Nancy said walls are immoral but lives in a mansion with walls. I am sure she locks her front door as well. After exhausting all avenues to fund the wall, PDJT declares National Emergency.

Note that He gets much more than the $1300 million bill passed into law. There are additional unspent dollars he can use for the wall, already in the current law. Courts can’t stop those $$. Congress can’t reverse existing law without presidential veto. Trump is operating like a magician who distracts the audience with a shiny object. The shiny object here is the funds available through National Emergency. While everyone is focused on that, the Wall keeps getting built with other available funds.

Just watch, in 2 years most of the vulnerable areas where it is easy for illegals to walk in, will have a wall built. If he gets re-elected, the wall construction will be complete at all crossing points except the natural barriers (mountains, rivers etc).


32 posted on 02/18/2019 5:27:02 PM PST by entropy12 (Legal immigrants under chain migration not any better than illegal immigrants! Merit ONLY!!)
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To: Pollster1

Half of those on food stamps came in via airports, LEGALLY, under current laws of chain migration. There are 12-15 million senior age LEGAL immigrants who are receiving social security checks and other welfare benefits, while never having paid a dime in taxes.

And there are more living on expired visitor/student visa’s. I can bet more LEGAL immigrants are receiving gov’t handouts than illegals. But you make a good point about FUTURE illegals walking across the border.


33 posted on 02/18/2019 5:36:11 PM PST by entropy12 (Legal immigrants under chain migration not any better than illegal immigrants! Merit ONLY!!)
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To: Slyfox
Getting all the muslins off food stamps would probably pay for half the Wall.

Might pay for a double layer, full length wall....

34 posted on 02/19/2019 2:53:05 AM PST by trebb (Don't howl about illegal leeches while not donating to FR - it's hypocritical.)
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