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SSA Employee Indicted for COVID-19 Relief Fraud tied to Paycheck Protection Program and Unemployment Benefit Claims

July 14, 2025

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Social Security Administration (SSA) employee collected a government paycheck from the American people while allegedly scamming pandemic relief programs out of more than $50,000. Tiffanie Foster, 48, of Kansas City, has been indicted on two counts of wire fraud after federal investigators stated she submitted falsified tax and bank records to obtain a Paycheck Protection Program loan and unemployment benefits—all while working full-time for SSA.

At the time of the alleged conduct, Foster was employed full-time as a customer service representative. According to the indictment, Foster knowingly submitted false documents and made fraudulent statements to obtain both a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and unemployment benefits.

“These charges reflect a potential serious breach of the public’s trust,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General for SSA. “Federal employees have a duty to uphold the law, not abuse their positions for personal gain. We will continue to hold accountable those SSA federal employees who violate the law and erode the public’s trust in SSA.”

The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee flagged Foster as one of several SSA employees whose personal information had been used in suspicious pandemic-related applications. Investigators determined in July 2020, Foster applied for unemployment benefits through the state of Michigan—despite being a Missouri state resident and fully employed by SSA—ultimately receiving over $30,000 in benefits. Additionally, in early 2021, Foster applied for a $20,833 PPP loan for a business, submitting an altered IRS tax form and a falsified bank statement. The U.S. Small Business Administration later forgave the loan.

If convicted, Foster faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count, followed by supervised release. Sentencing will be determined by the court following a pre-sentence investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. The investigation was conducted jointly by SSA OIG and the Department of Labor OIG.

Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected Social Security fraud to the OIG at oig.ssa.gov.

Read the PDF here.

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