The White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud Identifies Five COVID-era “Emergency” Contracts Disbursing Money Years After Pandemic End
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is announcing that it has identified more than $1.2 billion in suspected fraud across five COVID-related contracts as part of its collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the direction of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Although the COVID-19 national emergency ended in 2023 and related GSA acquisition flexibilities were cancelled later that year, certain federal contractors continued to receive funds.
“The COVID emergency ended over three years ago, yet fraudsters continue to weaponize outdated emergency contracts to abuse taxpayer dollars….
This remains the most prevalent form of financial crime globally. It targets the direct access points to your money: your cards and your bank accounts.
- Skimming: Criminals use small devices called “skimmers” placed over ATM or point-of-sale card slots to capture the data from your card’s magnetic strip.
- Card-Not-Present (CNP) Fraud: This occurs during online shopping where a physical card isn’t required. Thieves use stolen card numbers, expiry dates, and CVV codes to make unauthorized purchases.
- Account Takeover (ATO): A hacker gains access to your online banking credentials (often through malware or phishing) and changes the contact details or passwords, locking you out while they drain your funds.