State Senate Republicans are calling for an oversight hearing on SNAP-EBT fraud in Massachusetts after the Herald reported a whistleblower’s claims of “rampant” and “unabated” fraud within the program and as several other SNAP fraud schemes have been uncovered by the feds and state auditor.
The caucus sent a letter Wednesday to Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee Chair Sen. Mark Montigny requesting a hearing on “significant and recurring evidence of SNAP EBT fraud, operational failures within the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), and the Commonwealth’s inability to adequately protect taxpayer funds and program beneficiaries.”
“A recent whistleblower report featured in the Boston Herald and based on the comments of a DTA employee details specific instances of internal dysfunction within DTA amplifies the many reasons for concern with these benefits and the way they…
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.