Unraveling the Billions Lost in COVID-19 Relief Funds
The COVID-19 relief funds intended to combat the pandemic and stabilize the economy became the target of the greatest grift in U.S. history. Over the last three years, more than $280 billion was potentially stolen by fraudsters, with an additional $123 billion wasted or misspent. The lack of oversight and restrictions, coupled with the urgent need for quick distribution, made the grift alarmingly easy.
The Small Business Administration, responsible for managing relief efforts, faced a surge in demand and dropped crucial guardrails, allowing fraudulent applicants to slip through the cracks. The failure to utilize available resources for fraud detection further compounded the issue. Amid the ongoing blame game between politicians, efforts are being made to extend the statute of limitations to catch more fraudsters. The lesson learned is that in future crises, fast delivery and anti-fraud measures can coexist, ensuring assistance reaches those in need without compromising accountability.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted perceptions around doomsday prepping, once considered the realm of conspiracy theorists.