By Fraud, $45.6 Billion in US Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Was Stolen, Says Labor Dept. IG

Hundreds of unemployed Kentucky residents wait in long lines outside the Kentucky Career Center for help with their unemployment claims in Frankfort, Ky., on June 19, 2020 John Sommers II/Getty Images

Criminals have fraudulently stolen $45.6 billion in unemployment benefits from U.S. government programs meant to assist Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic.

The federal government started an unemployment aid program in March 2020 during the early days of the pandemic.