Overview

• Transnational criminal networks and nation-state actors, including groups linked to China and Russia, are defrauding U.S. assistance programs using stolen identities and sophisticated schemes.
• The FBI warns that nearly all Americans' personal data is available for purchase on the darknet, enabling widespread identity theft and fraud.
• Fraudsters are increasingly deploying AI deepfakes, synthetic identities, and networks of stolen data to bypass safeguards in government aid programs.
• The Trump-established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claims to have saved $150 billion, but critics argue it conflates fraud with wasteful spending, complicating its impact assessment.
• Legitimate aid seekers, such as disaster survivors, report being locked out of relief accounts due to suspected identity fraud, highlighting the collateral damage of anti-fraud measures.