COVID-19 Aid Thieves Splurge on Cars, Private Island, and More

Thousands of thieves have potentially plundered over $280 billion in federal COVID-19 aid, with another $123 billion wasted or misspent, representing close to 10% of the $4.3 trillion disbursed by the U.S. government to mitigate the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. An analysis of pandemic fraud cases reveals thieves and scam artists spending the stolen funds on luxury purchases such as houses, cars, watches, jewelry, strip clubs, gambling, and vacations. The thieves came from various backgrounds and locations, and their crimes were facilitated by the government's goal of quickly distributing cash with minimal hassle. Despite efforts to catch the culprits, the scale and scope of the fraud make it challenging for the federal criminal justice system to fully address the unprecedented volume of pandemic relief fraud cases.