This is the only forum I’m registered to where I think I might get some kind of worthwhile reply, but anyway, there’s someone I’ve known for quite sometime that I know for a fact is committing welfare fraud. They’ve been doing it since September, and I was first informed of it since December, but it’s only been recently that it’s really dawned on me I should report this, as I came across them openly bragging about it on another forum. Their welfare fraud simply amounts to being of very questionable status for it and the fact they’re blowing it on non-essentials (junk food, video games, anime merchandise etc.). They live in LA county, and while I was able to make a call through to their social services, it had to be recorded. This was a couple of days ago. I’m just wondering on the prospects of it ever being followed up on, how long that would take, and when I’d be informed of the case being considered. I live outside of California, but even then I’m really unfamiliar on how welfare fraud is often treated by social services. I came across this, for example:
People from Cali complaining about poor service from Cali social services on welfare fraud. It’s made me abit iffy.
And I’m also wondering how rewards are given out (Cali offers them, and I took it up). I’ve heard it range from being up to 30% to just up to $1,000, but I’m quite sure this person has blown a few thousand or more already.
I wouldn’t let myself be steered by any of those opinions- the people posting them seem barely literate, although the problems/issues may well be valid.
Is California different from Tennessee on this? Here you get cash and you get food stamps on the card. There’s no rule for the cash part but food has to be food, not non-food or cooked deli items. The stores usually ring up the difference automatically. I was never told what I could spend the cash part on as long as the register took EBT cards. I wouldn’t buy a video game anyway because I don’t have money for that, even if it’s welfare money, but I bought clothes just yesterday, and a bag of trail mix and tortilla chips (my school requires us to dress professionally and I need snacks for break). Nobody said anything about it being against any rules.
I figure it’s like this. They’re going to get the same amount of money/food stamps no matter what they buy. If they qualify for the benefit that’s what matters. Now are the people you know lying about something to get the money? Are they pooling funds and lying about who lives in the home?
Only thing I read about illegal immigrants was that some of them were not paying their taxes or following other business regulations. Or are illegal immigrants exempt from all laws, not just immigration laws?
It is fraud if they are spending money in ways they are specifically not allowed to by the payment rules. It is not fraud if they are spending money on what you think is “non-essential”.
Okay I’m editing this to point out that the thread was about welfare fraud. It wasn’t about reporting illegal immigrants who stole all the jobs to ICE. It was a hijack to harp on the illegals when it had nothing to do with the topic. That’s what I mean by what I said.
It’s been my perception (and I think I’m probably correct) that TANF payments these days are hardly enough to live on. So if you see someone on “Welfare” that is able to spend the majority of their payments on nonessentials, then somebody ELSE must paying for the essentials. Which could be a big red flag for fraud, but not definitively so.
I get 142 dollars a month for one child. I wish I could live on that! They make me work for it too. If I can’t find a job by the end of this week for at least 30 hours they’re sending me off to do volunteer apprenticeships.
Would selling drugs be fraud? My sister knew of people who clearly did this. Their kid would never have enough of their prescribed stimulant, and the parents, despite being on welfare, always had a bunch of cash around. I know selling drugs is wrong, but would you consider it welfare fraud? I mean, they would be getting money they wouldn’t report.
Because, other than that possibility, I don’t see the fraud implications. Unless you are thinking they have some other type of job under the table. Not actually needing the money, especially by your own observations is not in and of itself fraud.
There is a very good chance indeed that it will be followed on and the money/food stamps stopped immediately before they’ve even confirmed if there is any fraud. You’d better be really sure that your acquaintance is committing fraud rather than not being as frugal as you think they should be.
On re-reading: I see you’ve already reported it and what you’re concerned about is when you’ll get your reward. That is likely to take a long time and will only be if your acquaintance did actually commit welfare fraud.
The chances of it being followed up on are nearly nil. Not enough resources and generally they go after only the really big fish. It’s usually political suicide for DA’s to prosecute fraudsters.
If they were to follow up on it, you wouldn’t be informed. Don’t hold your breath for reward money, either - welfare fraud is damned hard to prove in court, there are tons of loopholes in the recipient’s favor and the state’s hands are tied in many situations.
My concerns are that his status for welfare is very questionable- he’s unstable, but he’s really not incapable of working. (I forgot to add he has no job and doesn’t seem likely to get one. Should have mentioned that.) He’s pretty much a kind of hypochondriac. I’m quite sure his mom is paying for most everything else. (I should have mentioned this in the OP too.) And in spite of this, he’s receiving welfare and spending it almost entirely on non-essentials. I figured the latter is stretching it, but on top of that, he does not seem eligible, thus the possible fraud. And the bragging of buying nothing but non-essentials. He basically knows he doesn’t really need it. I’m not remotely alone in thinking he doesn’t need what hes spending it on.
And no, money is not my big interest on this, to the person who accused me. I am simply wondering what the chances are he’ll be even given consideration by the social services. Looking back on it now, I don’t think I gave enough details on his ineligibility in my calls, but as someone said, someone else is paying for the non-essentials, so that right there alone makes me think he’s very questionable.
And why wouldn’t I be informed? In choosing the reward option, they made me give my address, name and phone number. I can see how I might not be informed if they didn’t follow up on it, but what if they did?