Report Fraud

The Program Integrity Unit seeks to maintain the integrity of the public assistance programs by deterring fraud through education, early detection, and prosecution.

It is against the law to make false statements or to willfully withhold information when applying for public assistance. If you do not give truthful information, you can be taken to criminal court and charged with fraud and/or disqualified from receiving assistance. Information provided is checked by the Program Integrity Unit and, perhaps, by a State or Federal reviewer. The crime of welfare fraud is committed when people receive or attempt to receive welfare benefits by providing the Department of Social Services with false and inaccurate information, or by withholding information needed to correctly determine eligibility for welfare benefits.

To report suspected welfare fraud in Mecklenburg County, please telephone our Program Integrity Unit at 704-353-0600 Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). You will be able to speak to an Investigator trained in collecting the necessary information. 

The Program Integrity Unit devotes maximum efforts toward the prevention, detection, and recovery of overpayments in the public assistance programs. Cases are referred to this unit to investigate possible welfare fraud and abuse, and when possible, recoup benefits issued erroneously. In addition to collecting monies after an overpayment has occurred, "front-end" investigations are also conducted on high-risk cases in an effort to prevent overpayments.