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Mass. U.S. attorney launches benefit, voter fraud task force
A new unit to target SNAP, MassHealth, and election-related fraud, with a public hotline, has been established.
U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley announced Thursday the creation of a new federal team dedicated to investigating benefit and voter fraud across Massachusetts.
The newly formed Benefit and Voter Fraud Team will focus on identifying and prosecuting fraud involving programs such as SNAP, MassHealth, and childcare subsidies, as well as election-related offenses, according to a statement from Foley’s office.
As part of the initiative, officials have launched a public hotline — 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621) — for reporting suspected fraud.
The announcement follows a series of recent prosecutions, including cases involving millions of dollars of alleged SNAP fraud. Last month, Foley said her office was considering appointing a fraud coordinator, as reported by CBS News, after two Massachusetts store owners were charged in a $6.7 million SNAP benefits trafficking scheme.
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Foley has appointed assistant U.S. attorneys Philip Mallard and Mark Grady to lead the team, according to the office announcement.
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Mallard will oversee coordination across federal agencies and develop enforcement strategies, while Grady will supervise investigations and prosecutions in collaboration with partner agencies, according to Foley’s office.
“It has become apparent that there are insufficient guardrails in place in Massachusetts to address the rampant benefit fraud across the state,” Foley said in a statement. “It is time to hold criminals stealing taxpayer benefits accountable. This has gone on far too long and the buck stops with me.”
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However, less than 1 percent of SNAP caseload has been found to have committed fraud, according to a spokesperson for Gov. Maura Healey’s office. The Department of Transitional Assistance is working with state and federal partners to shrink that number even more, they said.
MassHealth, meanwhile, operates one of the nation’s strongest efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse, conducting more than 1,200 audits and saving taxpayers over $600 million in the past three years, according to the spokesperson.
“As a former AG and as governor, Governor Healey is focused on punishing fraud and protecting tax dollars,” the spokesperson said. “All of our programs will continue working with state and federal partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute bad actors.”
The ACLU of Massachusetts is raising concerns about the inclusion of voter fraud among the task force’s priorities.
“The Trump administration has repeatedly sought to restrict voting access, limit voter participation, and undercut public confidence in elections,” Jessie Rossman, legal director of ACLU of Massachusetts, said. “This task force is just the latest example.”
Rossman described voter fraud as a “myth.”
“It simply is not a substantive concern in Massachusetts — or anywhere in the United States,” she said. “Using this kind of rhetoric undermines, rather than protects, the integrity of our elections.”
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Since December 2025, the U.S. attorney’s office has charged 15 individuals in cases totaling nearly $9 million in alleged fraud, including schemes involving SNAP benefits and MassHealth, according to the office.
“This is the tip of the iceberg,” said Foley. “We have dozens of investigations in the pipeline that will come to fruition in the coming weeks. My office is committed to stepping up and taking benefit fraud seriously.”
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