More than 300 million euros in fraud detected by CAF in 2021

Better detected, but not necessarily more important.

Cases of family allowance fraud are up 32% between 2014 and 2021 according to the 2021 report of the National Family Allowance Fund (Cnaf) published on Tuesday, June 21.

“This does not mean that fraud has increased in the same proportions, specifies the organization.

This result is due to the progress of the CAF in terms of controls, detection and qualification of fraud.

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Thus in 2021, the CAF detected 43,208 cases of fraud for an amount of 309 million euros.

In 2020, a year marked by the Covid crisis where there were fewer checks, the amount was "only" 255.5 million euros.

The average amount of detected fraud is thus 7,162 euros, i.e. 241 euros more than in 2020.

Social minima fraud represents 78.1% of fraud in terms of financial mass, with 60% for the RSA alone (active solidarity income) and 12.6% for the activity bonus.

In addition to the reimbursement of sums, penalties were sent for a total of nearly 18 million euros, or 688 euros per file.

And 2,357 cases, the most important, are being prosecuted.

700 controllers and 30 super-investigators

To achieve this result, the CAF rely on a team of some 700 controllers.

With automated controls: there were 31.6 million last year.

It is then a question of verifying the consistency of the information given with that collected by other administrations such as the Tax Office or Pôle Emploi.

Added to this are 3.9 million off-site checks and 127,878 on-site checks carried out by officers.

Since last year, to better fight against organized gang fraud, the Cnaf has also relied on a team of 30 specialized controllers.

In their sights: breaches of bank details, identity theft and fraud, residence fraud or fake microentrepreneurs.

Apart from cases of fraud, these checks have also made it possible to regularize the situation of many recipients due in particular to involuntary declaration errors.

The Cnaf thus explains that it made 328.9 million euros in reminders, that is to say benefits due to recipients.

And, on the other side, 894.4 million indus, sums paid in excess were recalled.