Public Assistance Fraud is a Serious Crime

Committing public assistance fraud is a serious crime and we need your help to keep it out of our community. 

Public Assistance or Benefit fraud occurs when individuals lie or withhold information to receive benefits that they are not eligible for or use their benefits for monetary gain. People who commit benefit fraud, steal valuable resources and hurt those that need benefits the most.

Through enhanced technology and a new partnership between Buncombe County Health and Human Services, the Sheriff’s Department, and the District Attorney’s Office, we have joined forces to educate, report, investigate and prosecute fraud in our community. 

We all have a part to play in keeping benefit fraud out of our community: 

• When you apply – Don’t lie. Don’t withhold information.
• If you suspect fraud – Report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 255-5050.

Through a newly integrated case management system called NC Fast, eligibility is better tracked across programs and universal caseworkers have access to client information across all public assistance programs, and therefore are able to uncover fraud more quickly. 

Building on this new technology, Health and Human Services, in partnership with the sheriff’s department and the district attorney’s office have created a team that has expertise on public assistance and investigation skills to detect and investigate cases of benefit fraud.

This team works to investigate and prosecute offenders as well as educate the public that benefit fraud is a serious crime.  

You need to know:

• Fraud is considered a felony and our county takes it very seriously.  What you do matters – make the right choice. When you apply – don’t lie.
•  Make sure you keep your information current and accurate - call 828-250-5500. If overpayments occur there will be consequences.
• If you know someone who is committing fraud and taking advantage of a public assistance program, we want to know. Call Crime Stoppers 255-5050 to anonymously report suspected fraud. 

Together we can make sure that those who need help the most get it. Join us in this partnership to stop public assistance fraud in our community.