The largest theft in America’s history… $280 billion of Corona’s money “evaporates” and the shock of the “those involved”
The largest theft in America’s history… $280 billion of Corona’s money “evaporates” and the shock of the “those involved”
2023-06-14
Fraudsters in America seized more than $ 280 billion that was intended to finance aid related to the Corona virus epidemic, while another $ 123 billion was wasted or improperly spent in the United States, according to an investigation by the American “Associated Press”.
Where the agency indicated that more than 400 billion dollars of American funds were lost or seized by criminals, financial gangs, and even ordinary citizens in America, which represents approximately 10% of the total aid provided by the US administration to confront the epidemic, amounting to 4.2 trillion dollars.
The biggest scam in America
The investigation indicated that most of the money was stolen by using the social security numbers of dead and imprisoned people, by fraudsters, in a large number of states in America, with the aim of obtaining unemployment benefits. Also, applications for federal loans were not verified and matched with the database at the US Treasury Department, which led to “the largest fraud in US history,” according to the agency.
While the agency expects the number to rise, as investigations continue into the misuse of government welfare programs, through thousands of potential frauds.
The authors of the investigation and experts say that the US administration was in a hurry to spend trillions of dollars in aid to contain the Corona virus and its repercussions, so it did not impose sufficient verification methods or restrictions on aid seekers, especially during the early stages of the epidemic, which facilitated fraud.
The investigation also revealed that theft and fraud in America were not exclusive to gangs and criminals, but others were involved, such as an American soldier in Georgia, priests in a church in Texas, a former member of the Missouri state parliament, and a building contractor in Montana.
Huge numbers to combat Corona
According to the Associated Press investigation, 2,230 people have been charged with fraud crimes related to the pandemic, and the US Department of Justice is conducting thousands of investigations, as preliminary information indicates that most of the money was looted through 3 major initiatives to combat the Corona virus.
The agency also indicated that these initiatives were launched during the era of former President Donald Trump, and were inherited by his successor, Joe Biden, as they aimed to help small businesses and the unemployed cope with the economic turmoil caused by the pandemic.
Since the coronavirus outbreak began in early 2020, more than 1,130,000 people have died in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While the investigation reviewed testimony by Michael Horowitz, Inspector General of the US Department of Justice and Chairman of the Federal Committee to Monitor the Pandemic Response, before the US Congress, that it may take more than two years to obtain the actual number of frauds.
The report also presents the testimony of Larry Turner, an investigator for the US Department of Labor, before a congressional hearing committee, in which he stated that his mission to expose fraud operations related to the Social Security program was hindered by the lack of cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as gangs seized the Social Security numbers of federal prisoners to steal Billions of dollars in aid for prisoners.
Turner adds that Congress has not yet passed a bill that would give prosecutors five more years to track down fraudsters in the unemployment benefits system, which could obstruct the course of justice.
The numbers may go up
Michael Horowitz, the US Department of Justice inspector general who heads the Federal Accountability Committee for Pandemic Response, told Congress the fraud “clearly runs into the tens of billions of dollars” and could eventually exceed $100 billion.
Horowitz told The Associated Press he was sticking with that estimate, but that he wouldn’t be sure of the number until he had more solid data. “I’m reluctant to exaggerate how much that is, but it’s clearly material, and the final accounting is still at least two years away,” he said.
Before leaving office, former President Donald Trump approved emergency aid measures totaling $3.2 trillion, according to figures released by the Committee on Accountability for Epidemic Response.
The 2021 US Rescue Plan allowed Biden to spend another $1.9 trillion. According to the commission’s most recent accounting, about a fifth of the $5.2 trillion has yet to be paid.
burathanews.com