Combating Fraud in USDA's Farm and Food Workers Relief Program

Federal agencies are tasked with the critical responsibility of managing grant programs to detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. This challenge became particularly pronounced for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The USDA launched the Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) program in September 2021, aiming to distribute $670 million in relief funds to food and farm workers impacted by the pandemic. The funds were to be disbursed through 14 nonprofit organizations and one Tribal entity, each responsible for issuing one-time $600 payments to eligible workers.

To ensure the efficient and secure distribution of these funds, CGI partnered with the USDA to develop a comprehensive solution. CGI created a centralized tool where all 15 grantee organizations could upload information about approved recipients. This consolidation of data served multiple purposes, including preventing duplicate payments and identifying potential fraud.

In April 2023, AMS experienced a significant surge in applications from a North Carolina-based grantee, with over 50,000 additional applications amounting to $31.2 million in potential fraud. An investigation revealed that the grantee had been targeted by a coordinated social media attack, where fake paystubs and other fraudulent documentation were being offered for a fee.

In response to this incident, CGI implemented several advanced tools and services to prevent future occurrences and mitigate related concerns:

• Centralized Risk and Fraud Analysis Tool
  • Our de-duplication tool detects and prevents individuals from receiving payments from multiple organizations while ensuring the protection of personally identifiable information (PII). This tool streamlines data consolidation, reduces errors, and enhances decision-making to improve fraud prevention efforts.
• Dynamic Dashboards and Real-Time Visualizations
  • A customizable dashboard that displays real-time data allows stakeholders to track program activity, detect anomalies, and gain actionable insights while protecting PII between grantee organizations and providing the government with insights into high-level summary analytics.
• Comprehensive Document Verification
  • Our document verification technology analyzes images and scanned documents to detect alterations.
• Social Media and Dark Web Monitoring
  • CGI proactively monitors social media and dark web activities to help identify fraudulent schemes targeting beneficiaries and entities on customer programs. This approach includes detecting fraudulent tactics and tracing the origins of organized fraud attempts.
• Intelligent Automation and Workflow
  • We created an automated, standardized form for stakeholders that automatically consolidates when all stakeholders fill in the information to update a dashboard. Sends auto-reminders if stakeholders are late.
• Advanced Data Analytics
  • Predictive analytics, including Pattern of Life (POL) modeling, tracks habitual behaviors, routines, and activities over time. By analyzing deviations from expected patterns, this approach helps detect anomalies that may indicate fraudulent activity, such as identity theft.
• Continuous Risk and Internal Control Assessments
  • Regular assessments of internal controls and customer policies are conducted to ensure that processes remain robust and effective. High-risk areas are prioritized for immediate action and mitigation.
• Comprehensive Technical Assistance
  • Our technical assistance program includes a dedicated helpdesk to assist customers and program administrators in resolving issues related to fraud prevention tools and dashboards. We also provide direct support for troubleshooting and addressing specific concerns.
• Training and Education
  • The holistic fraud approach includes comprehensive training and educational resources, including webinars, one-pagers, and live workshops, to enhance grantee and stakeholder understanding of anti-fraud measures. We ensure that users are well-equipped to implement best practices in fraud prevention and another layer of protection to combat fraudulent attempts.