--- title: How Federal Agencies Are Rethinking the Fight Against Fraud description: Federal agencies are using technology, data and AI to strengthen fraud prevention while making identity and eligibility verification faster. image: https://fedgovtoday.com/hubfs/Podcast%20Social%20Graphic%20(1920%20x%201080%20px)-55.png --- [![logo-fgt-2026-white](https://fedgovtoday.com/hubfs/logo-fgt-2026-white.svg "logo-fgt-2026-white")](https://fedgovtoday.com/) ![2026-WebsiteHeaderAnimatedGIF](https://fedgovtoday.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2026-WebsiteHeaderAnimatedGIF.gif?width=728&name=2026-WebsiteHeaderAnimatedGIF.gif "2026-WebsiteHeaderAnimatedGIF") - [Home](https://fedgovtoday.com) - [TV Show](https://fedgovtoday.com/tv-show) - [Guests](https://fedgovtoday.com/guests) - [Podcast](https://fedgovtoday.com/podcast) - Topics - **TECH** - [-- AI](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/artificial-intelligence) - [-- Cloud](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/cloud) - [-- Cyber](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/cyber) - [-- Data](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/data) - [-- Emerging Tech](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/emerging-tech) - [-- Modernization](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/modernization) - **DEFENSE** - [-- Defense Tech](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/defense-tech) - [-- Intel / OSINT](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/intel-osint) - [-- Space](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/space) - **WORKFORCE** - [-- Pay & Benefits](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/pay-and-benefits) - [-- HR](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/human-resources) - **ACQUISTION** - [-- Acquisition](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/topic-index-acquisition) - **CITIZEN SERVICES** - [-- CX](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/customer-experience) - [-- Digital Government](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/digital-government) - [Events](https://fedgovtoday.com/events) - [Industry Insight](https://fedgovtoday.com/industry-insights) - Shows - [-- Innovation in Government](https://fedgovtoday.com/innovation-in-government-0) - [-- Modernizing Government](https://fedgovtoday.com/modernizing-government) - [-- Four Futures of AI](https://fedgovtoday.com/four-futures-of-ai) - [-- DefenseTech TV](https://fedgovtoday.com/defensetech-tv) - [-- In Depth](https://fedgovtoday.com/indepth) - [-- The Federal Focus](https://fedgovtoday.com/federalfocus) - [About](https://fedgovtoday.com/about) Search - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. [![logo-fgt-2026-white](https://fedgovtoday.com/hubfs/logo-fgt-2026-white.svg "logo-fgt-2026-white")](https://fedgovtoday.com/) ## [![logo-fgt-2026-white](https://fedgovtoday.com/hubfs/logo-fgt-2026-white.svg "logo-fgt-2026-white")](https://fedgovtoday.com/) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fedgovtoday/) [Follow us on Twitter](http://www.youtube.com/@fedgovtoday) [✕](https://fedgovtoday.com/podcast/how-federal-agencies-are-rethinking-the-fight-against-fraud#atbs-thenextmag-offcanvas-mobile) - [Home](https://fedgovtoday.com) - [TV Show](https://fedgovtoday.com/tv-show) - [Guests](https://fedgovtoday.com/guests) - [Podcast](https://fedgovtoday.com/podcast) - Topics - **TECH** - [-- AI](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/artificial-intelligence) - [-- Cloud](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/cloud) - [-- Cyber](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/cyber) - [-- Data](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/data) - [-- Emerging Tech](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/emerging-tech) - [-- Modernization](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/modernization) - **DEFENSE** - [-- Defense Tech](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/defense-tech) - [-- Intel / OSINT](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/intel-osint) - [-- Space](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/space) - **WORKFORCE** - [-- Pay & Benefits](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/pay-and-benefits) - [-- HR](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/human-resources) - **ACQUISTION** - [-- Acquisition](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/topic-index-acquisition) - **CITIZEN SERVICES** - [-- CX](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/customer-experience) - [-- Digital Government](https://fedgovtoday.com/topic-index/digital-government) - [Events](https://fedgovtoday.com/events) - [Industry Insight](https://fedgovtoday.com/industry-insights) - Shows - [-- Innovation in Government](https://fedgovtoday.com/innovation-in-government-0) - [-- Modernizing Government](https://fedgovtoday.com/modernizing-government) - [-- Four Futures of AI](https://fedgovtoday.com/four-futures-of-ai) - [-- DefenseTech TV](https://fedgovtoday.com/defensetech-tv) - [-- In Depth](https://fedgovtoday.com/indepth) - [-- The Federal Focus](https://fedgovtoday.com/federalfocus) - [About](https://fedgovtoday.com/about) ### How Federal Agencies Are Rethinking the Fight Against Fraud   September 24, 2026 Federal agencies are putting greater attention on preventing fraud before taxpayer dollars leave the government, but Robert Shea says there is still significant work to do. Shea, CEO of GovNavigators and a former commissioner on the Commission for Evidence-Based Policymaking, says the federal government has spent decades trying to address improper payments. Despite those efforts, the reported numbers have continued to grow, in part because more programs now measure improper payments. Shea sees the current focus on fraud as a potential shift in how agencies approach the problem. “People know that it’s a problem,” Shea says. Agencies are increasingly acknowledging that existing controls have not always been sufficient to prevent fraud and are looking for ways to strengthen them. One opportunity is improving how agencies verify whether someone applying for federal benefits is eligible to receive them. Shea says agencies already conduct some form of eligibility verification, but the strength of those processes varies across government. He points to the Small Business Administration as an example of an agency that strengthens identity verification following problems with COVID-era benefits. Technology can help agencies improve those controls without necessarily making it more difficult for eligible people to receive benefits. “I don’t want to imply that you should make it hard for people to get benefits,” Shea says. “Technology is such today that we can verify people in seconds.” Government-wide tools can play a role. Shea highlights Do Not Pay, which agencies can use to identify potentially improper payments, as well as Login.gov and its identity verification capabilities. He also says private-sector data verification companies can provide access to additional data that helps agencies determine whether someone is eligible for federal dollars. Another opportunity comes from making better use of information the government already collects. Shea describes how audit reports can reveal weaknesses in federal programs but historically have been difficult to analyze at scale. Advances in technology now make it possible to unlock that information and identify patterns or vulnerabilities that previously could have been difficult to find. Artificial intelligence could accelerate that work. Shea says agencies should not simply throw AI at every problem. Fraudsters can also use increasingly sophisticated technology, potentially creating situations where automated systems are trying to outmaneuver one another. But he sees clear applications for AI, including using the technology to sift through large amounts of data faster and more effectively than was previously possible. Measuring progress also requires looking beyond how much fraud agencies stop. Shea says agencies should examine the percentage of payments they have successfully validated as legitimate. That provides a broader picture of how well controls are working across federal programs. Asked to rate the government’s current fraud posture as red, yellow or green, Shea chooses yellow. He says attention and prevention have improved, but agencies are not yet operating from the same playbook and fraudsters continue looking for weaknesses. For Shea, protecting federal dollars ultimately requires sustained attention across government. “There is fraud everywhere,” he says. “Agencies need to take it seriously.” [Read about the launch of the National Fraud Detection Center to Combat Fraud Against Taxpayer-Funded Programs here](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-announces-launch-national-fraud-detection-center-combat-fraud-against) ### Share on Social [Share this blog post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://fedgovtoday.com/podcast/how-federal-agencies-are-rethinking-the-fight-against-fraud) [Share this blog post on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://fedgovtoday.com/podcast/how-federal-agencies-are-rethinking-the-fight-against-fraud) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://fedgovtoday.com/podcast/how-federal-agencies-are-rethinking-the-fight-against-fraud) [AI](https://fedgovtoday.com/podcast/tag/ai) [Robert Shea](https://fedgovtoday.com/podcast/tag/robert-shea) [Data](https://fedgovtoday.com/podcast/tag/data) [Fraud](https://fedgovtoday.com/podcast/tag/fraud) [![logo-fgt-2026-white](https://fedgovtoday.com/hubfs/logo-fgt-2026-white.svg "logo-fgt-2026-white")](https://fedgovtoday.com/) - [About](https://fedgovtoday.com/about) - [Contact](https://fedgovtoday.com/contact) - [Privacy Policy](https://fedgovtoday.com/privacy-policy) - [Advertise](https://fedgovtoday.com/advertisement) - [Subscribe to Our Newsletter](https://fedgovtoday.com/subscribe) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fedgovtoday/) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/FedGovToday) [Follow us on Twitter](http://www.youtube.com/@fedgovtoday) [Follow us on Facebook](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fed-gov-today/id1658568583) [Follow us on Facebook](mailto:John@FedGovToday.com) Copyright © Fed Gov Today, LLC 2025. 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