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As much as $31 billion in California unemployment funds paid to scammers

Rich Pedroncelli/AP

FILE — In his Dec. 18, 2020 file photo a runner passes the office of the California Employment Development Department in Sacramento, Calif. California reported a significant surge in unemployment claims last week for independent contractors, accounting for more than a quarter of all such climbs nationally and raising concerns about a return of widespread fraud, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Employment Development Department - EDD (FILE)

By: Anthony Wright, 23ABC

Posted at 10:30 AM, Jan 26, 2021

and last updated 2021-01-26 13:30:14-05

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KERO) — As much as $31 billion in California unemployment funds have been paid to scammers.

Monday state officials said that at least 10 percent of Employment Development Department payments since March were fraudulent. Some of the payments came from state funds and some of it was federally funded.

Julie Su, California's top labor official said the majority of fraud was through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program created by Congress. She said the federal program lacked employment and personal identification processes.

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