On August 12, 2019 the FCC created a new Fraud
Division within the Enforcement Bureau. The mission of the Fraud
Division is to uncover, investigate, and prosecute attempts to
commit waste, fraud, and abuse within the Commission's
universal service funds, including the high cost fund, the E-rate
fund, the low-income fund, and the rural healthcare fund. In
particular, the Commission is concerned that given the billions of
dollars a year dispersed by these funds, there is an enormous
temptation for unscrupulous actors to collect monies to which they
are not entitled.
The Fraud Division will be staffed by existing Enforcement
Bureau personnel, many of whom are experienced federal, state, and
local prosecutors. This new Division closely resembles the
Universal Service Strikeforce which was established during Chairman
Wheeler's tenure at the FCC. While it is unclear whether the
Fraud Division will announce its presence by immediately launching
a number of high-profile
