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Identifying Fraud Before it Happens

President Trump’s efforts to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse are producing real results. Recently, the U.S. Department of the Treasury prevented nearly $100 million in improper federal payments from being sent to deceased individuals – another reminder that protecting taxpayer dollars starts with stopping fraud before the money ever leaves the government.

This success is the result of an expanded payment verification process implemented by the Trump Administration. Since the Spring of 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department has reviewed approximately 885 million payments totaling $2.7 trillion, preventing nearly $99 million in improper payments before they were ever sent. That’s nearly three times the amount of improper payments stopped compared to previous efforts.

That approach mirrors exactly what we’ve worked to accomplish here in Mississippi.

At the State Treasury, we’ve made it clear that the best way to fight fraud is to stop it before a payment happens. Once taxpayer dollars leave the government’s hands, recovering them is incredibly difficult. That’s why we’ve invested in stronger verification tools, modernized our systems, and worked to identify suspicious activity before money goes out the door.

Earlier this year, I joined the U.S. Department of Justice to announce a first-of-its-kind data-sharing agreement that allows states to share fraud information across state lines. Criminals don’t stop at state borders, and neither should the people protecting taxpayers. By getting information into investigators’ hands sooner, we have a far better chance of stopping fraud before taxpayers lose a single dime.

We’ve already taken meaningful steps in Mississippi by modernizing our anti-fraud efforts, including implementing citizenship verification in our unclaimed money program and strengthening safeguards against fraudulent claims. These reforms, combined with stronger partnerships at the federal level, give us new tools to protect the money entrusted to us.

It is an honor to serve as your State Treasurer, and I will continue working every day to safeguard your tax dollars, root out fraud, and ensure government is a responsible steward of the people’s money.