Fraud Awareness Day is today

Montgomery County Department of Job and Family Services is spreading the word that “Fraud Costs All of Us.” To promote fraud awareness, MCD JFS’ Investigation and Recovery staff will be hosting a Fraud Awareness Day today.

This day is dedicated to educating the community on recognizing, reporting and preventing Public Assistance fraud. Investigation and Recovery staff will be in the front lobby of The Job Center, 1111 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., promoting fraud awareness, giving away items and answering questions about how to prevent Public Assistance fraud. Stop by and look for staff in red or black “Fraud Costs Us All” shirts. You can also wear red on this day in support of fraud awareness.

In 2017, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services disbursed about $2.2 billion in SNAP food assistance, $238 million in Ohio Works First cash assistance and nearly $632 million in child care provider subsidies. Individuals who mislead caseworkers or provide false information on an application for benefits account for a very small percentage of the funding disbursed, but the department takes even the smallest fraud cases very seriously.

MCD JFS is a shining example of that. The department had another record-breaking collections year in 2017. Montgomery County collected more than $1.2 million in overpaid SNAP assistance. More than $880,000 of this was from fraudulently received assistance by county residents.

Applicants and recipients of public assistance programs are encouraged to report their circumstances accurately and timely in order to avoid facing potential criminal charges, program disqualification and repayment of benefits issued improperly. Residents of Montgomery County may report suspected public assistance fraud by calling 937-225-6035 or going to www.jfs.ohio.gov/fraud. CONTRIBUTED