(NewsNation) — Fraudsters have stolen as much as $135 billion in federal unemployment aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report by the Government Accountability Office found.
GAO estimates fraud in unemployment insurance (UI) programs was likely between $100 billion and $135 billion during the pandemic, about 11% to 15% of the total amount of UI benefits paid during that time.
The U.S. Department of Labor disputes this report, claiming the amount was likely overstated as they raise concerns over the methodology used to reach the estimate. GAO disagrees