Latest Federal Trade Commission Report shows fraud against consumers skyrocketed last year, but new technology offers hope
Fraudsters were very busy in 2020. So busy, in fact, that government benefits fraud went up an astonishing 2,920% from 2019. In our latest podcast, we talk to a senior government official at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a government technology expert from 抖阴成年 about the findings from the report.
This podcast highlights the second installment of the 抖阴成年 Government Influencer series, a year-long program of virtual events designed to spotlight top government leaders and the work they do to promote transparency; advance innovation and technology; combat fraud, waste, and abuse; and promote efficiency and effectiveness in government programs.
In , available on the , Gina Jurva, attorney, and manager of market insights and thought leadership content for corporate and government at the Thomson Reuters Institute, delves into this topic with , acting director for the FTC鈥檚 Bureau of Consumer Protection; and , senior director of fraud, risk, and compliance for 抖阴成年 Pondera.
You can聽聽with the FTC and 抖阴成年 Pondera here.
The panel discusses the meteoric rise in reports of fraud by the general public; yet the numbers may not tell the entire story of government fraud in 2020. Indeed, panelists explain how the rise in consumer fraud reports may also be, in part, due to increased reporting from a variety of sources. The FTC network typically receives reports directly from consumers, as well as from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the Better Business Bureau, industry members, and non-profit organizations.
For 2020, the FTC added even more data contributors, including the FBI鈥檚 Internet Crime Complaint Center, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. More data may mean more complete results and not necessarily an enormous spike in fraud, according to the panel.
Panelists go over the specific findings of the report, including detailing which states saw the largest rise in consumer fraud complaints. They also look at ways that agencies can use the aggregated data from the FTC report to bolster government fraud prevention and detection efforts for the future.
The panel also touches on ways that government officials and law enforcement can bolster their fraud detection efforts with technology at the front end of the process instead of chasing the fraudsters later on after crimes have been committed.
You can access the first installment of the 抖阴成年 Government Influencer series, , here.
