Family accused of $11M benefit fraud

The Ontario government alleges that four of its employees — all family members — defrauded it of at least $11 million in COVID-19 relief money. The unproven civil claim accuses them of illegally issuing and banking cheques under the Support for Families Program. The program aimed to defray the cost of children learning at home. The suit alleges the family opened 400 bank accounts and deposited around 10,000 cheques made out to fictitious applicants. One of them, Sanjay Madan, was a senior bureaucrat who helped develop the application for applying and approving the benefit.