Welfare Fraud Prevention
Illegal benefit claims hurt the integrity of our County programs. They also take away benefits from clients who are truly eligible and in need of help to meet basic needs for their families, while costing taxpayers money.
To protect Sonoma County Human Services Department benefit programs from false claims, community members can report their concerns about CalFresh, CalWORKS, General Assistance, Medi-Cal or In-Home Supportive Services fraud.
What is welfare fraud?
Welfare fraud is against the law and can be prosecuted in court. If convicted, someone may go to jail, have to pay fines or be disqualified from receiving future benefits.
Report your concerns when someone:
- applies for benefits with false information, knowing they are not eligible,
- fails to report income to the Human Services Department,
- fails to report that the parent of their child living in house with them,
- reports that a child is living with them when the child is not, or
- sells his/her benefit amount or service to another person.
Learn more about types of welfare fraud.
How do I report fraud?
Reports are confidential. While reporters can be anonymous, your contact information may help in SIU’s investigation. Investigators speak English or Spanish, and translators in other languages are available.
To report suspected fraud regarding:
- CalWORKs, CalFresh or General Assistance (Cash Aid) programs, call 707-565-8530.
- Medi-Cal or In-Home Supportive Services, call 800-822-6222. Reports can also be submitted online to the confidential Stop Medi-Cal Fraud website.
When making the report, please have the person’s name, home or mailing address, and a brief description of the possible fraud.
