California Welfare Fraud Investigators Association - CWFIA

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California Welfare Fraud Investigators Association - CWFIA

Keeping up the fight against Fraud over 50 years!

Founded in 1972, CWFIA is Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organization Dedicated to Maintaining Program Integrity in Public Assistance Programs Through Education, Training and Leadership.

08/26/2026

For 25 years, an unknown man used the identity of a deceased child to fraudulently collect nearly $300,000 in government benefits, including SSI, Medicaid, SNAP, and other taxpayer-funded assistance, before being sentenced to more than five years in federal prison.

This case is a powerful reminder that welfare fraud is not a victimless crime. Every dollar stolen diverts limited resources away from those who genuinely need assistance and undermines public trust in vital benefit programs.

Whether the fraud involves hundreds or hundreds of thousands of dollars, accountability matters, and those who deliberately exploit public assistance programs must be held responsible for their actions.

Keep up on our latest content, come and follow us! Newsletter, Press releases, Articles of Interest, Legislative proposals and updates.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-id/pr/unknown-man-sentenced-five-years-prison-using-identity-deceased-child-25-years-obtain

08/20/2026

PSA: If you know Josephine, please let them know that selling your Food Stamps is a Felony under
Welfare & Instutions Code 10980 and an improper use of your food stamps🫒🥖🥚😀. If she's selling them she obviously doesn't need them that bad.

08/19/2026

A Waterford, New York woman has been charged with welfare fraud and grand larceny after investigators alleged she failed to report income and collected more than $1,000 in benefits she was not ELIGIBLE to receive. Annette Piper, 64, was arrested following an investigation by the Warren County Department of Social Services Fraud Unit and the Warren County Sheriff's Office. Whether the fraud amount is $1,000 or $100,000, every case matters because public assistance programs depend on accountability to ensure benefits go only to those who lawfully qualify.

Keep up on our latest content, come and follow us! Newsletter, Press releases, Articles of Interest, Legislative proposals and updates.

https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/waterford-woman-charged-with-more-than-1000-in-welfare-fraud-in-warren-county-annette-piper-wrgb

08/14/2026

A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent and his fiancée have been sentenced after unlawfully obtaining more than $25,000 in SNAP and WIC benefits, funds intended to help families put food on the table. Individuals entrusted with enforcing the law and serving the public must be held to a higher standard, not held to a lower one when they violate that trust. Accountability matters because every fraudulent dollar taken from public assistance programs undermines confidence in the system and takes resources away from those who truly need them.

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https://www.azfamily.com/2026/08/13/ex-border-patrol-agent-fiance-sentenced-food-assistance-fraud-arizona/

08/13/2026

This Article Exposes a Disturbing Reality: Every dollar lost to EBT fraud is a dollar stolen from struggling families, seniors, and individuals who depend on food assistance to survive. The report does an outstanding job of bringing attention to an existing problem that isn't confined to New York, as California continues to face EBT theft, skimming, and fraud schemes that put vulnerable households at risk. Lawmakers, program administrators, and taxpayers must treat this as the crisis it is before even more benefits are stolen from those who truly need them.

Keep up on our latest content, come and follow us! Newsletter, Press releases, Articles of Interest, Legislative proposals and updates.

https://yournews.com/2026/07/30/7134936/ebt-fraud-steals-from-taxpayers-and-americans-who-truly/

08/11/2026

UPDATE FROM A PREVIOUS POST: Rhode Island Department of Human Services Supervisor Formally Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

“On August 4, 2026, Nadine Jean Baptiste, 59, of Warwick, admitted to repeatedly accessing SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card information, conducting unauthorized telephonic balance inquiries, and altering PIN numbers associated with those cards. Many of the affected individuals were juveniles, homeless, or incarcerated at the time their information was accessed.”

In total, EBT cards containing more than $300,000 in SNAP benefits were improperly accessed. It is further alleged that Jean Baptiste and her daughter used fraudulently accessed SNAP benefits to make personal purchases.

Keep up on our latest content, come and follow us! Newsletter, Press releases, Articles of Interest, Legislative proposals and updates.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/pr/rhode-island-department-human-services-supervisor-pleads-guilty-scheme-defraud

08/10/2026

California SNAP Participation Falls by 365,387 Recipients, Down 6.6%, Bringing Total Enrollment to 5.13 Million from April 2025 to April 2026. The drop in SNAP recipients is mainly due to enforcement of work requirements.

New USDA data shows California's SNAP enrollment declined by 365,387 participants, a 6.6% decrease following updated work requirement rules. Despite the drop, more than 5.13 million Californians continue to receive SNAP benefits, making it one of the largest programs in the nation. The state-by-state report provides a closer look at how participation trends are changing across the country.

https://www.foxla.com/news/snap-fewer-recipients-after-new-rules-implemented

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08/07/2026

*** Update from one of our previous posts. Suspect has been formally indicted!***

From Arrested to Indicted: Esmeralda Soriano, owner of Soriano Produce in Santa Ana, indicted on two federal counts of illegal SNAP (food stamp) benefit trafficking.

Keep up on our latest content, come and follow us! Newsletter, Press releases, Articles of Interest, Legislative proposals and updates.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/owner-santa-ana-based-fruits-and-vegetables-food-truck-indicted-charges-she-committed

08/06/2026

Why tackle fraud today if it won’t matter tomorrow? Interesting Opinion Piece claiming some states aren't rushing to reduce SNAP payment error rates because higher errors can buy them more time before accountability measures fully take hold. Critics argue they're effectively betting on a future administration to roll back or soften penalties rather than fixing the problem now. The result: taxpayers and program integrity remain caught in political limbo.

CWFIA can attest that California is NOT one of those States! Measures are being implemented to avoid a potential $2 Billion Dollar penalty.

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https://thehill.com/opinion/6009345-states-dodge-welfare-reform-penalties/

08/05/2026

$15,000 in SNAP Benefits Allegedly Stolen: Oklahoma investigators say a woman fraudulently collected more than $15,000 in food assistance by allegedly concealing income and listing ineligible household members.

Authorities also allege she traded access to her SNAP card and PIN in exchange for hair appointments, using taxpayer-funded benefits as payment for personal services.

Now facing felony food stamp fraud and trafficking charges, the case is drawing attention to abuse of public assistance programs and efforts to hold offenders accountable.

Keep up on our latest content, come and follow us! Newsletter, Press releases, Articles of Interest, Legislative proposals and updates.

https://okcfox.com/news/local/oklahoma-woman-accused-of-collecting-15k-in-fraud-snap-benefits

Address

PO Box 272
Mentone, CA
92359

Website

http://cwfia.org/

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