October 19, 2026
Encouraging news for taxpayers: Treasury identifies, prevents, hundreds of millions in fraud
‘Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar taken from hardworking Americans and future generations’
PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Treasury Department recently announced the successful implementation of fraud prevention programs, protecting Americans’ taxpayer dollars. The Treasury revealed that it screened over 1.1 billion federal payments, totaling $3.7 trillion, in addition to identifying 13,500 fraudulent payments worth $175 million that would have been sent to deceased individuals. According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, “We are moving beyond ‘pay and chase’ and making prevention the federal government’s first line of defense.” To strengthen fraud protection, the Treasury Department stated that nine new data sources have been added to its “Do Not Pay” program and that a new government-wide payment verification process has been initiated.
“The Treasury Department’s announcement that it screened $3.7 trillion in federal payments and identified $175 million in improper payments to deceased individuals is encouraging news for American taxpayers,” shared “Financial Issues” (FISM) host Mark Minnella.
“I applaud Secretary Scott Bessent and the Trump administration for taking meaningful steps to stop fraud before taxpayer dollars leave the Treasury. For far too long, Washington has treated waste, fraud and abuse as an acceptable cost of doing business, while our national debt continues to threaten America’s financial future. Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar taken from hardworking Americans and future generations. This is a good start, but with the enormous amount of waste and fraud throughout government, we need to be far more aggressive in identifying it, stopping it and holding those responsible accountable. Fiscal responsibility begins with protecting the money taxpayers have already entrusted to our government.”
Financial Issues (FISM) unique programming helps Christians find freedom and purpose in financial stewardship, empowering them to make biblically faithful choices in a world filled with competing voices. By tuning in, viewers and listeners will discover how to navigate their financial journey with clarity, integrity and a Kingdom-minded perspective.
Mark Minnella is the host of “Financial Issues,” which is broadcast live Monday through Friday at 9 – 10 a.m. ET/8 – 9 a.m. CT, on more than 500 television and radio outlets nationwide, streaming on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and other major platforms, as well as online at FinancialIssues.org.
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