December 18, 2020 at 5:26 pm
A sign at the headquarters for Washington state s Employment Security Department at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
The results of the first of five state audits of the Employment Security Department show that the department’s internal controls were not strong enough to protect against fraud.
The financial audit found that an automated process that flags suspicious claims was out of commission until May. By the time it was eventually repaired, the fraudsters had already gotten hold of much of the money.
The audit also found that taking away the one-week waiting period for benefits in March which was done to speed things along, by order of the governor and recommendation of the federal government led to money being paid out before the people getting it could be properly vetted.
Audit: Inadequate control to prevent state unemployment scam chron.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chron.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.