Audit reveals more than $4.8M in public benefit fraud, Mass. Auditor DiZoglio’s office says
Massachusetts state Auditor Diana DiZoglio said Friday that her office found more than $4.8 million in public benefit fraud in the fourth quarter of the 2025 fiscal year, with programs ranging from MassHealth to food assistance taking a hit.
In a statement, the Methuen Democrat said her office's Bureau of Special Investigations had investigated 1,153 cases, finding "overpayment calculations" in 143 cases with identifiable fraud.
"Public benefit fraud can impact the lives of everyday people across Massachusetts who rely on these programs and services to access care or purchase food," DiZoglio said in a statement.
"That is why the work of our fraud examiners is critical to help ensure these services and programs are operating efficiently and reliably for all who need them," she continued.
MassHealth, the joint federal and state program that provides health coverage to millions of state residents, took the biggest hit.
Investigators said they identified more than $3.8 million in benefit fraud in the program.
Investigators said they found $690,138 in fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often referred to as "food stamps."
Both programs were targeted for reductions in the domestic policy mega-bill that President Donald Trump signed into law last month.
An analysis released by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., based on data compiled by the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, concluded that nearly 350,000 people statewide stand to lose coverage as a result of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill."
A further 104,000 people could be dropped from the SNAP rolls, that same analysis found.
Other instances of fraud uncovered by DiZoglio's office included:
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Personal Care Attendant (PCA): $145,638
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Department of Early Education & Care (EEC): $134,526
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Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC): $23,179
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Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC): $8,568
In all, DiZoglio's office said it found $4.8 million in total fraud during the final quarter of the budget year that ended June 30.
She sent her findings to the top budget-writers in the state House and Senate.
DiZoglio, a former lawmaker, remains at loggerheads with her onetime colleagues over a voter-approved audit of the Legislature.
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