{"id":5005,"date":"2026-07-21T11:34:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T11:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5005"},"modified":"2026-07-21T11:34:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T11:34:38","slug":"exclusive-treasury-stopped-nearly-100m-in-taxpayer-money-from-going-to-dead-people-after-new-govt-measure-implemented","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5005","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive | Treasury stopped nearly $100M in taxpayer money from going to dead people after new gov’t measure implemented"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Treasury Department has blocked nearly $100 million in taxpayer money from going to dead people since implementing a government-wide payment verification process last year, The Post has learned.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Michigan man accused of trying to kidnap two girls allegedly flipped off their families in court: reports<\/a><\/p>\n

The department\u2019s Bureau of the Fiscal Service discovered the money set to go to ghosts after a review of an eye-popping 885 million payments worth a total of nearly $2.7 trillion.<\/p>\n

Since March 2025, the screening has identified more than 4,900 disbursements, worth approximately $99 million, associated with deceased payees, according to the Treasury.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The payments going to the dead \u2013 often indicative of fraud \u2013\u00a0were returned to the originating federal agencies for review before any funds were disbursed, the department said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The $99 million figure is a tiny fraction (0.0036%) of the $2.7 trillion the department reviewed as part of the Trump administration\u2019s crackdown on waste, fraud and abuse \u2014 but more than triple what Treasury discovered going to the deceased in the days before President Trump took office last year. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTreasury has delivered on a key promise of President Trump\u2019s mandate to stop improper payments and fraud before money leaves the Treasury, and strengthen the integrity of the federal payment system,\u201d Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether with Vice President Vance\u2019s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, this new safeguard addresses a longstanding vulnerability and helps ensure every dollar the federal government spends reaches its intended recipient,\u201d Bessent added. \u201cTreasury will continue efforts to modernize the federal payment system, strengthen safeguards against fraud and improper payments, and protect taxpayer dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Exclusive | Elaine Forbes\u2019 wife visits her in custody after ex-Port of San Francisco boss\u2019 bizarre arrest<\/a><\/p>\n

The Treasury used the federal Do Not Pay program \u2014 which confirms a recipient\u2019s identity, eligibility, and bank account information before issuing federal payments or awards \u2014 as well as other new verification tools to flag the $99 million that was going to the graveyard.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The department \u201csignificantly expanded\u201d its use of the verification systems last year on Trump\u2019s orders.<\/p>\n

Legislation passed in 2021 granted the department temporary access to the Social Security Administration\u2019s \u201cFull Death Master File,\u201d which helped identify some of the deceased payees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In February, Trump signed the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act into law, which allowed Treasury permanent access to the death file.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The department has projected a gain of $330 million in net benefits through the reduction in improper payments to dead people.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Envious Albany lawmakers eye giving themselves raises after self-serving NYC Council\u2019s fat pay hikes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service discovered the mistaken payments after reviewing 885 million disbursements worth a total of nearly $2.7 trillion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nExclusive | Treasury stopped nearly $100M in taxpayer money from going to dead people after new gov't measure implemented - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=5005\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Exclusive | Treasury stopped nearly $100M in taxpayer money from going to dead people after new gov't measure implemented - 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