XPost: ba.politics, dc.media, soc.penpals   
   XPost: alt.burningman   
   From: pelosi@mail.house.gov   
      
   Americans receiving food stamps were caught selling and   
   bartering their benefits online for art, housing and cash,   
   according to a new federal report that investigates fraud in the   
   nation’s largest nutrition support program.   
      
   Complicating the situation is the fact states around the country   
   are having trouble tracking and prosecuting the crimes because   
   their enforcement budgets have been slashed despite the rapidly-   
   rising number of food stamp recipients, according to the   
   Government Accountability Office report.   
      
   Under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, 47   
   million people have been awarded $76 billion in benefits. State   
   agencies are responsible for addressing SNAP recipient fraud   
   under the guidance and monitoring of the Food and Nutrition   
   Service.   
      
   “Such rapid program growth can increase the potential for fraud   
   unless appropriate agency controls are in place to help minimize   
   these risks,” the investigators said in their report.   
      
   The GAO report resulted from a review of 11 state and federal   
   efforts to fight food stamp fraud, effectiveness of certain   
   fraud detection tools and how FNS oversees state anti-fraud   
   efforts.   
      
   The report found that “most of the selected states reported   
   difficulties in conducting fraud investigations due to either   
   reduced or maintained staff levels while SNAP recipient numbers   
   greatly increased from fiscal year 2009 through 2013.”   
      
   The report also said some of the state officials interviewed   
   suggested “changing the financial incentives structure to help   
   support the costs of investigating potential SNAP fraud.”   
      
   As for the actual fraud itself, during a 30-day testing period   
   of the automated tool for e-commerce websites, the GAO report   
   found “28 postings from one popular e-commerce websites that   
   advertised the potential sale of food stamp benefits in exchange   
   for cash.”   
      
   The GAO also found limitations on the effectiveness of   
   recommended replacement card data and website monitoring tools   
   for fraud detection.   
      
   It also said states have different thresholds for prosecuting   
   food stamp fraud.   
      
   In Tennessee, for example, $100 in benefits must be fraudulently   
   obtained before officials will consider prosecuting, but in   
   Texas it is a $5,000 level.   
      
   Allegations of fraud and abuse have long-plagued SNAP and have   
   been used by lawmakers in Washington to argue that the program   
   has spiraled out of control.   
      
   http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/08/22/food-stamp-fraud-   
   rampant-gao-report/?intcmp=obinsite   
      
        
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)