§ 36 — Fraud detection program

Section 36. (a) The department, in consultation with the bureau of program integrity, established pursuant to section 16V of chapter 6A, shall develop a fraud detection program. The fraud detection program shall analyze the risk of fraud and refer any cases of suspected fraud to the program integrity division and the bureau of special investigations in the office of the state auditor.(b) In analyzing risk of fraud and identifying cases for investigation, the program shall consider: (i) even-dollar transactions; (ii) full-benefit withdrawal; (iii) usage patterns; (iv) high electronic benefit transfer card balances; (v) repeated duplicate electronic benefit transfer card requests; (vi) purchases of prohibited items; (vii) other relevant data sources; (viii) reports to case workers of potential fraud; and (ix) instances of the use of direct cash assistance in states other than Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Vermont and Maine.(c) To assist the program in identifying and investigating likely cases of fraud, the department shall develop and make available reports identifying: (i) even-dollar transactions by cardholder; (ii) instances of full-benefit withdrawal; (iii) high electronic benefit transfer card balances; (iv) duplicate electronic benefit transfer card requests; (v) purchases of prohibited items and (vi) other data reports, biannually.