State government has launched a website to help its efforts at fighting fraud, waste and abuse that cost state programs tens of millions of dollars each year. “FightFraud.ct.gov” is designed to be both an education and enforcement tool.
The website is an outgrowth of the state’s Interagency Fraud Taskforce, created in 2013 to coordinate efforts by 13 state agencies and strengthen the state’s ability to identify, investigate, prosecute and recover state funds. Part of the website provides ways for the public to report suspected wrongdoing in tax filings, health care, anti-trust violations, unfair competition, workers’ compensation and more.
Since November 2013 the state has identified and recovered tens of millions of dollars in funds from fraudulent practices in the multi-billion dollar Medicaid program, by enhancing the state’s False Claims Act, and hiring a high-tech firm to help detect patterns of Medicaid fraud.
“The state has been making a major effort to crack down on fraud, waste and abuse,” said Ben Barnes, secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, said in a statement. “The public is our first and best defense against theft of state resources. This is a zero tolerance state when it comes to fraud.”
