Welfare Fraud

Welfare fraud occurs when individuals intentionally provide false or misleading information to obtain social service benefits, such as unemployment aid, food assistance, or other government support, they are not entitled to. This can involve exaggerating income, hiding assets, or falsely claiming eligibility. The goal is to exploit the system for personal gain unlawfully. Welfare fraud is considered a serious offense because it diverts resources from those genuinely in need and undermines public trust in social programs. Detecting and preventing such fraud is important to ensure assistance reaches eligible and deserving individuals.