News

$12 million in public assistance fraud found in FY2025

Photo: Clipart.com


BOSTON, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — State Auditor Diana DiZoglio released the Bureau of Special Investigations’ Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2025 on Friday. The report shows nearly $12 million in public benefit fraud in FY25, which ended on June 30th, 2025.

The largest amount of fraud was seen in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, totaling over $4.1 million, followed by $1.3 million in fraud with MassHealth.

From the Bureau of Special Investigations and the Office of the State Auditor:

BOSTON – Today, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio released the Bureau of Special Investigations’ (BSI) Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2025.

The report summarizes BSI’s work and initiatives to help make government work better by investigating fraud, abuse, and illegal acts involving public assistance benefits throughout the Commonwealth. BSI investigates allegations of fraud in MassHealth, programs run by the Department of Transitional Assistance, and the Department of Early Education and Care.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, BSI identified $11,952,288 in public assistance fraud, with a total of 4,179 fraud investigations completed.

BSI’s Fraud Investigations Unit (FIU) identified the largest amount of fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), totaling over $4.1 million for FY25, and more than $1.3 million in fraud in MassHealth. Fraud investigators also completed 22 civil recoveries, totaling nearly $800,000 in fraudulent overpayments.

Notably, work by the BSI helped secure a Hyannis woman’s guilty plea to more than $140,000 in welfare fraud, and an admission of welfare fraud by a Gloucester woman, totaling more than $20,000.

“For countless residents across the Commonwealth, these programs offer access to everyday items they need, including food and medical services,” said Auditor DiZoglio. “Through the work of our fraud examiners, we continue to help ensure they operate with transparency, accountability, and equity. Our team will continue to work to ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively and that resources are available to those who truly need and qualify for them.”

The public can report potential fraud to BSI by dialing our hotline at 617-727-6771 or by visiting our website at https://www.mass.gov/how-to/report-public-benefit-fraud-to-the-office-of-the-state-auditor.

Recent Headlines

4 hours ago in Entertainment

Trial that could lead to the breakup of Ticketmaster’s parent company gets underway

A high-stakes antitrust trial that could lead to the possible breakup of Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, got underway Tuesday in a case over whether the entertainment giant's dominance of the concert industry amounts to an illegal monopoly.

4 hours ago in Entertainment

Padma Lakshmi finds a new competitive kitchen with CBS’ ‘America’s Culinary Cup’

Padma Lakshmi is back in the kitchen with a knives-out cooking competition, and this time the stakes are higher — for the contestants and for her. The former host of Bravo's "Top Chef" lands on network prime time hosting and judging the CBS show "America's Culinary Cup," which boasts the largest cash prize in culinary television history — $1 million.

10 hours ago in Entertainment, Music

The Guess Who plan the band’s first official US tour in over two decades

Two principal songwriters of The Guess Who — the band that crafted the hit song "American Woman" — will tour America itself later this year for the first time in over two decades.

11 hours ago in Entertainment

Justin Timberlake sues to block release of police video from 2024 drunken driving arrest in New York

The pop star's lawyers argued in a lawsuit filed Monday against the village of Sag Harbor and its police department that release of the video would "devastate" Timberlake's privacy by revealing "intimate, highly personal, and sensitive details." They also said it would cause "severe and irreparable harm" to his reputation by subjecting him to "public ridicule and harassment."

1 day ago in Trending

Actor Shia LaBeouf arrested again on battery charge in New Orleans

Actor Shia LaBeouf, who was arrested and charged with battery after police say he punched several people outside a New Orleans bar earlier this month, was arrested again on Saturday and charged with one additional misdemeanor count of simple battery, court records show.