Thousands of California inmates accused of massive COVID-19 unemployment benefit fraud scheme | DisrnTens of thousands of California prison inmates filed 35,000 fraudulent unemployment claims during the pandemic and received at least $140 million in benefits from the state, according to officials.
Some of the money went directly to inmates and some was sent to friends and relatives outside prison.
At least 158 of the claims – filed between March and August – were for 133 inmates on death row, including notorious serial killers. Those claims totaled $420,000.
“In my nearly four decades I have never seen fraud of this magnitude,” said Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer.
Inmates and their contacts on the outside used fake Social Security numbers and names – some of them clearly jokes or offensive terms – to apply for the benefits. Because California does not have a system that cross references inmate data with unemployment claims, prisoners had an easier time gaming benefits applications for their gain.