Division of Public Assistance Fraud

The Division of Public Assistance Fraud safeguards the public and businesses in Florida against acts of public assistance fraud and the resulting impact those crimes have by enforcing federal and state criminal laws in relation to eligibility for public assistance.

 

Statutory Authority

Florida Statute 414.411 provides the Department of Financial Services authority for the PAF Division to conduct investigations.

 

Organization

The Public Assistance Fraud unit currently is staffed with sixty three (63) non-sworn law enforcement positions assigned to Field Offices located in Pensacola, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, Plantation, West Palm Beach, and Miami. Each Field Office is supervised by an Investigation Manager with Division Headquarters located in Tallahassee.

 

Function/Customers

On the State level, PAF partners with the Department of Children and Families, the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of Health, and the Early Learning Coalitions to investigate fraud in programs administered by those entities. On the Federal level PAF partners with the United States Department of Agriculture-Food and Nutrition Services, Social Security Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services.

PAF investigates fraud in the following programs:

• Cash Assistance/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) formerly known as Food Stamps
• Medicaid recipient Fraud
• Trafficking in SNAP program benefits
• Subsidized Day Care
• School Readiness program
• Voluntary Pre-K Program
• Emergency Financial Assistance for Housing
• Low Income Energy Assistance
• Disaster Assistance/Emergency SNAP benefits
• Cooperative Disability Investigations (Social Security Disability, SNAP, and Medicaid Eligibility