Reports of theft by recipients or workers in the state's welfare system will now head to Mississippi's top auditor to investigate if a crime has been committed.
Suspected fraud can be reported to the auditor's office online any time by clicking the red button at www.osa.ms.gov or via telephone during normal business hours at 1-(800)-321-1275.
Governor Tate Reeves has signed State Auditor Shad White’s bill that now requires Mississippi Department of Human Services (DHS) investigators to report any fraud at DHS to the State Auditor’s office.
Senate Bill 2338, now law, requires the fraud investigation unit at DHS to report “to the Office of the State Auditor . . . any suspected civil or criminal violations relating to program fraud, embezzlement or related crimes.” This comes on the heels of guilty pleas by Nancy and Zach New, who fraudulently handled millions of Mississippi welfare dollars from DHS in the largest public fraud in state history.
“The Legislature and Governor Reeves knew this was a common-sense idea,” said Auditor White. “I want to thank Gov. Reeves and legislative leadership, along with Senator Brice Wiggins and Representative Angela Cockerham, who handled the bill. Their hard work ensures that the State Auditor’s office can continue to stop misuse of taxpayers’ money, as we did in the case of the News.”
