Secret Service Siezes $286 Million in Stolen COVID Relief Funds

$286 million in stolen COVID-19 relief funds have been seized by the Secret Service and returned to the Small Business Administration.

According to an investigation conducted by the Secret Service’s Orlando Field Office, the fraudsters submitted fabricated Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDJ) applications using stolen and fake IDs, and used a third-party payment service called Green Dot to move and conceal the stolen money. Since federal COVID-19 relief programs began in 2020, the Secret Service has launched at least 3,850 investigations into potential fraud, recovering over $1.4 billion in illegally obtained funds.

In a statement released by Secret Service Media Relations, Assistant Director David Smith said “the Secret Service is dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s financial systems against fraud and holding those responsible to account for their criminal activity. By aiding in the return of nearly $2.3 billion in stolen funds over the last 30 months, our workforce has demonstrated a clear and firm commitment to the vitality of American businesses across the country.”

Coverage of the Secret Service’s memo was fairly consistent across the board. CNN included details on two laws signed by President Biden early this month that extended the statute of limitations to prosecute COVID-related fraud. The Blaze included more quotations explaining why large federal programs like the EIDJ are attractive to financial criminals.