Thousands of Fake or Dead People Enrolled in Government Phone Program, Auditors Say
29th June 2017
Created in the 1980s, the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program helps low-income people pay for phone and Internet service.
The federal government reimburses telecommunication companies that offer discounts to eligible subscribers through a fund made up of fees collected from consumers’ telephone bills.
Lifeline paid $1.5 billion in subsidies last year to more than 12 million households. But an estimated 36 percent of the program’s subscribers might be ineligible for enrollment, according to the audit.
My, what a surprise. Aren’t you surprised? I’m sure surprised.