To help struggling businesses needing immediate access to cash during the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress introduced the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020. Some companies, however, didn’t use the PPP loan funds as Congress intended. Because of a broad range of associated fraud, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and other government agencies have been investigating PPP loan cases.
As of late March 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has publicly charged 474 parties with criminal offenses based on pandemic fraud schemes, totaling $569 million in claims, and the investigations continue.
