Computer System Voted to Catch Welfare Cheats
Los Angeles County supervisors on Tuesday approved a $9.6-million, five-year contract to set up a computer fingerprinting system to catch welfare cheats.
Carol Matsui, special assistant in the county Department of Public Social Services, said the new system is expected to save $3.3 million a year by catching cheaters who file multiple applications for welfare under different names.
The county already keeps fingerprints and photographs of general relief applicants who have no identification. But, Matsui said, “It’s a manual system. You’re talking about 50,000 fingerprints and photographs. It is very cumbersome and time-consuming.”
Under the new system, expected to be set up by next August, all 50,000 general relief recipients will be required to place their index fingers on a scanner, which will feed the prints into a computer.
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