Unemployment applications are made available at a Hialeah, Fla., library. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Nearly $100 billion has been stolen from U.S. government COVID relief programs — most in unemployment fraud, AP reports from a Secret Service announcement.
What they're saying: "The sheer size of the pot is enticing to the criminals," said Roy Dotson, the Secret Service pandemic fraud recovery coordinator.
The Justice Department said last week that its fraud section had prosecuted more than 150 defendants in over 95 criminal cases related to the Paycheck Protection Program.
- The government has seized $75 million in cash, plus numerous real estate properties and luxury items bought with PPP proceeds.