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Welfare Fraud Prevention & Investigation (WFP&I)

The Welfare Fraud Prevention and Investigations Section is responsible for preventing and investigating welfare fraud before and after benefits are issued. To prevent fraud, investigators work from district offices located all over Los Angeles County. To investigate and prosecute welfare fraud, investigators work from WFP&I Headquarters and the criminal courts building.

Early Fraud Program

There are Early Fraud investigators located at the district offices to detect and prevent welfare fraud before benefits are issued.  

Field/Prosecution Units

Field investigators look into fraud on both active and closed cases.
Their fraud investigation referrals come from:

  • Staff at the district offices
  • The Central Fraud Reporting Line
  • Database matches such as wage and asset
  • Phone calls from the public
  • Other public and private agencies
A gavel on top of handcuffs and American money.
Criminal Courts Building

Fraud investigators at the Criminal Courts Building in Los Angeles act as a Court Liaison to handle customers being charged with welfare fraud.
The investigators’ duties include:

  • Processing Arraignment Notices
  • Issuing subpoenas
  • Fingerprinting and photographing suspects prior to arraignment
  • Completing necessary paperwork to enter an Intentional Program              Violation sanction.
Common Welfare Fraud

The most common types of Welfare Fraud found during investigations are:

  • Absent parent in the home
  • Unreported income
  • Child(ren) out of the home
  • Residency (living outside of Los Angeles County or California)
General Statistics
Pie Chart mixed in with Bar graphs and data
  • Annually, field investigators handle 15,000 to 20,000 fraud cases or referrals
  • Annually, investigators find fraud on 5,000 to 8,000 cases
  • Each year, approximately 200 cases are sent to the District Attorney (DA) for potential prosecution
    •   95% of the cases result in conviction
    •   Most of the convicted cases will have a court-order to pay                      the County back
A sign that says REPORT WELFARE FRAUD

You can report Welfare Fraud anonymously through any of the sources below:

ONLINE

VIA MAIL OR IN-PERSON AT:

WELFARE FRAUD PREVENTION & INVESTIGATIONS

20101 Hamilton Ave
Torrance, CA, 90502

 

VIA TELEPHONE AT:
CENTRAL FRAUD REPORTING HOTLINE (CFRL)

1-800-349-9970

Identity Theft

If you are a victim of identity theft, file a police report at your nearest Police or Sheriff station closest to where you live (California Penal Code Section 530.6).

Reporting Other Frauds

Child Abuse (800) 540-4000

Elder Abuse (213) 351-5401

In-Home Supportive Services Fraud (IHSS)  (800) 822-6222

Medi-Cal Fraud (800) 822-6222

Social Security Fraud (800) 269-0271

To report welfare fraud contact the appropriate County Agency directly. If you need assistance in determining which agency to call contact the Welfare Fraud Hotline at 1-800-344-8477 or by e-mail at FraudHotline@dss.ca.gov.