Watchdog Identifies $5 Billion in Potential COVID-19 Relief Fraud

People line up outside Kentucky Career Center prior to its opening to find assistance with their unemployment claims in Frankfort, Ky., on June 18, 2020. Bryan Woolston/Reuters

A federal watchdog on Monday issued an alert for $5.4 billion in relief that may have been fraudulently claimed through the U.S. government’s small business COVID-19 support program.

Data scientists from the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) flagged over 69,300 “questionable” social security numbers (SSNs) for “potential fraud and identity theft” linked to the programs.