On June 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the results of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, charging 455 defendants in alleged schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims. The announcement is notable not only for its size, but for what it says about the maturation of health care fraud enforcement. DOJ has been talking about data analytics and whole-of-government coordination for years. This year’s Takedown suggests those concepts are no longer just aspirational talking points – they are increasingly the operating model, with data used earlier and more aggressively, familiar priorities like opioids joined by fast-emerging targets like allografts and skin grafts, and DOJ’s new National Fraud Enforcement Division (NFED) positioned as a coordinating hub.
The Numbers: Smaller Than 2025, Still…
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.