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The obscure California program that loses billions every year to scammers

Nypost · · 1160 words · By Christopher F Rufo; Kenneth Schrupp
open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/08/opinion/the-california-program-that-loses-billions…

fact_checkFact-Check Results

16 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

help Insufficient Evidence 7
schedule Pending 6
verified Verified By Reference 3
verified
“The In-Home Supportive Services Program (IHSS) costs nearly $30 billion per year.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
All Wikipedia evidence refers to the Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS), not California's program. No data about program costs or California's IHSS is present in the evidence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Honduran Social Security Institute (Instituto Hondureño de Seguro Social or IHSS in Spanish) is a Honduran program that provides pensions and healthcare coverage. It was inaugurated in 1959 when t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduran_Social_Security_Insti…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Humic substances (HS) are relatively recalcitrant colored organic compounds naturally formed during long-term decomposition and transformation of biomass residues. The color of humic substances varies…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humic_substance
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — IHSS may refer to: Honduran Social Security Institute (Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social in Spanish), social security in Honduras Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, an older term for h…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IHSS
verified
“IHSS loses roughly an estimated $6 billion to $12 billion yearly to scammers.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Evidence only mentions Honduran IHSS and unrelated topics (humic substances). No information about fraud losses or California's IHSS is found.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Honduran Social Security Institute (Instituto Hondureño de Seguro Social or IHSS in Spanish) is a Honduran program that provides pensions and healthcare coverage. It was inaugurated in 1959 when t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduran_Social_Security_Insti…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Humic substances (HS) are relatively recalcitrant colored organic compounds naturally formed during long-term decomposition and transformation of biomass residues. The color of humic substances varies…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humic_substance
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — IHSS may refer to: Honduran Social Security Institute (Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social in Spanish), social security in Honduras Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, an older term for h…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IHSS
verified
“California created the IHSS program in 1973 to provide in-home care to the elderly and disabled.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia entries mention California's social services but do not reference IHSS or its establishment date. Evidence about Honduran IHSS is irrelevant to the claim.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is a California state agency for many of the programs defined as part of the social safety net in the United States, and is within the auspices of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Department_of_Socia…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — IHSS may refer to: Honduran Social Security Institute (Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social in Spanish), social security in Honduras Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, an older term for h…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IHSS
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal or MediCal) is the California implementation of the federal Medicaid program serving low-income individuals, including families, seniors, persons wi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medi-Cal
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“In 2009, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger estimated that up to 25% of IHSS claims were fraudulent.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in Wikipedia, web search, or cross-references to confirm or refute the claim about Schwarzenegger's 2009 estimate.
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“A state workgroup introduced a loophole in 2009 that barred regulators from conducting fully randomized, unannounced home visits.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in any sources to confirm or refute the claim about fraud estimates.
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“There are over 800,000 taxpayer-funded caregivers in the IHSS program, making it the largest low-wage occupation in California.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in any sources to confirm or refute the claim about program costs.
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“In 2023–2024, counties received nearly 7,000 fraud complaints, with 964 investigations and 39 prosecutions.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in any sources to confirm or refute the claim about fraud losses.
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“The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecuted Giacomo Lorenzo Garbarino for billing $170,000 in fraudulent IHSS services.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in any sources to confirm or refute the claim about specific fraud estimates.
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“Maryam Erambakhsh was alleged to have falsely claimed payments for caring for her parents while they were outside the U.S.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in any sources to confirm or refute the claim about program details.
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“LexisNexis Risk Solutions estimates annual IHSS fraud could be 20% to 40% of total program spending.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in any sources to confirm or refute the claim about fraud estimates.
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“U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials estimate 25% of Medi-Cal’s budget is lost to fraud.”
PENDING
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“Mehmet Oz claimed criminal networks, including the 'Russian Armenian mafia,' were running hospice and home care scams in LA.”
PENDING
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“Armenian speakers are overrepresented in IHSS providers and recipients in California.”
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“A 25% fraud rate over California’s Medi-Cal budget under Newsom’s administration would result in $35 billion siphoned.”
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“Governor Newsom increased IHSS funding by $1.1 billion, raising the total to $33.4 billion.”
PENDING
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“A California Department of Social Services (DSS) spokesman stated that fraud in the IHSS program is not widespread.”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.