COVID-19 Response Watchdog Says AI Can Help Authorities Identify Fraud

The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, an oversight body created by the Coronavirus Air, Relief and Economic Security Act, said artificial intelligence can track down individuals taking advantage of pandemic relief funds.

PRAC Chief Data Officer Brien Lorenze said during the ATARC AI conference on Aug. 2 that AI can notify officials when fraudsters are using shell companies or fabricated identities to exploit COVID-19 relief programs. Lorenze also noted that government agencies also need to account for fraud schemes accelerated by malicious large-language models, which help perpetrators execute malware and phishing schemes more effectively.

Lorenze said using the tools fraudsters take advantage of will allow agencies to respond accordingly, Federal News Network reported.

The PRAC official’s comments come amid several COVID-19-related fraud cases identified across the United States. An Associated Press analysis found that criminals stole over $280 million in COVID-19 relief funds designed to help small businesses and misappropriated around $123 billion.