MARYLAND (WBFF) — A man pled guilty to charges stemming from a cross-county unemployment insurance fraud scheme, according to the U.S Attorney’s Office of Maryland.
Akinpelumi Olawale Oyewusi, 60, who was residing in Hyattsville, Maryland, was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
From September 2020 through March 2021, officials reported that Oyewusi and others conspired to defraud state workforce authorities, including the Maryland Department of Labor and the California Employment Development Department, to obtain fraudulent unemployment insurance funds, according to the guilty plea.
Oyewusi and his co-conspirators used real identities to obtain fraudulent unemployment insurance from Maryland and other states.
After obtaining access to these funds, Oyewusi transferred or withdrew them via electronic transfers or an ATM.
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PROCUREMENT & EXPENDITURE (STOPPING KICKBACKS)
Procurement fraud usually involves inflated invoices or “fictitious” vendors.
- The Three-Way Match: Never pay an invoice unless you have matched the Purchase Order (PO), the Delivery Note (signed), and the Supplier Invoice.
- Vendor Master File Review: Review your vendor list annually. Look for suppliers with the same bank details or physical addresses as your employees.
- Dual Authorization: Implement a “Two-to-Sign” rule for all EFT payments above a certain threshold (e.g., R5,000).
- No “Cashing” of Checks: If you still use physical checks, strictly prohibit “Cash” as a payee and store blank checks in a dual-lock safe.