Welfare Fraud

The Welfare Fraud Prosecutor within the Economic Crimes and Civil Rights Division of the Department of the Office of the Attorney General prosecutes criminal cases of fraud committed against any of the welfare programs administered by the Maine Department of Human Services (e.g., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ("TANF," formerly "AFDC"), Additional Support for People In Retraining and Employment ("ASPIRE"), Food Stamps, MaineCare, etc.).

The only exception is fraud committed against the MaineCare program by providers of services that are paid for by MaineCare. Fraud by MaineCare providers is prosecuted by the Healthcare Crimes Unit within this division. Anyone wishing to report the types of fraud prosecuted by the Welfare Fraud Prosecutor should call the Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services hotline at 1-866-348-1129.

A caller reporting such fraud may decline to identify him or herself so as to remain anonymous, but that may hinder the effectiveness of the investigation.