Mass. Audit: State Lost $1.2M To Fraud In 3 Months

In just the past three months, Massachusetts has lost $1.2 million to fraud in public assistance programs. The Bureau of Special Investigations, part of the State Auditor's office, announced Thursday it has found 121 instances of illegal activity and fraud in the 610 cases investigated from January through March.

The report cited a Bristol County woman who allegedly took $103,000 in Medicaid reimbursements, claiming a friend was her personal care attendant. That friend was in jail during the time she was supposed to be working.

MassHealth has been the most abused department. The auditors said 71 percent of the illegal claims they discovered came from its programs last year. Investigators received 2,000 complaints in the 2010 fiscal year and found $4.1 million in fraudulent claims.

The evidence will be passed on to law enforcement.