Family allowances: 351 million euros fraudulently received in 2022

351 million euros is a record amount of family allowance fraud detected in 2022. The National Family Benefits Fund (Cnaf) conducted 32.4 million audits last year, resulting in 48,692 frauds, up 11.6% from the previous year. year, according to data released this Sunday by JDD. The total amount of unfairly but deliberately collected amounts is 351 million euros against 309 million in 2021 (+13.5%). Less than 10% of fraud cases (4,322) ended in a complaint.

It is the fraud with RSA, active solidarity income, that is the cause of the greatest fraud: 60% of unreasonably received amounts. This is followed by the Activity Supplement (13%), Housing Assistance (12%) and Adult Disability Allowance (3%).

Cross files, field trips

Technicians in charge of reviews conduct reviews by cross-checking information provided by recipients and comparing it with information available to other entities such as Pôle emploi or the tax authorities. “Our checks are aimed at ensuring that the correct amount is paid, that is, paying the correct amount depending on the specific situation and correcting errors, if any,” emphasizes Nicolas Grivel, CEO of Cnaf, in the Journal du Dimanche.

And it’s not so much the number of scammers, but the fact that the authorities know better and better how to achieve their goal, according to explanations given by France Info. Walking is, for example, a very effective way of verifying information. In 2022, out of 32 million and some on-site inspections, more than 134 thousand were carried out, which is 10 thousand more than a year earlier. 700 CAF agents have been sworn in and will go to the recipients’ homes.

And if the average damage reaches 7,217 euros accumulated over an indefinite period, then the “petty” scammers are not the ones who benefit most from the collective largesse. Thirty “super investigators” from Cnaf worked for the National High Rate Fraud Office (SNLFE) for two years, along with tax specialists or Urssaf, to uncover major frauds, whether piracy of banking data, identity theft or the creation of fictitious pension collection companies.

With an impressive result: their 14,000 checks revealed 69.4 million euros in improperly affected amounts, of which 58% were fraudulent. “These phenomena of fraud by organized groups harm recipients and undermine national solidarity,” Nicolas Grivel lamented the weekly.