As I’m sure many have seen, Governor Walz finally appointed Shireen Gandhi commissioner of the Department of Human Services (DHS). Until now, Gandhi had been serving as temporary commissioner for a full year. I’m sure many Minnesotans are now wondering what this all means. I want to let folks know the implications of this move.
Back in February 2025, Gandhi was appointed as temporary commissioner after our last commissioner retired, despite the enormous fraud we were already seeing. To be fair, we all recognized Gandhi was dealt a tough hand. DHS had been inundated with fraud for years prior to her appointment, and she came into the position at a turbulent time. But in her year of being the temporary commissioner, it feels as though we have made zero headway on fraud whatsoever. That’s a big problem, folks.
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With more fraud being uncovered every month, often…
Investment fraud targets the human desire for financial growth by promising high returns with “low to no risk.”
- Ponzi Schemes: Named after Charles Ponzi, these schemes pay “returns” to earlier investors using the capital brought in by newer investors. There is no actual underlying business; the system collapses when new recruitment slows down.
- Pyramid Schemes: Similar to Ponzi schemes, but participants are usually required to sell a product or service. The primary “profit” comes from the recruitment fees of new members rather than actual product sales.
- Pump and Dump: Fraudsters spread false, positive rumors about a cheap stock (the “pump”) to drive up the price. Once the price peaks, they sell their shares (the “dump”), leaving other investors with worthless stock.