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Beltrami County fraud-prevention program reports roughly $1.34 million in savings for 2025
Summary
County economic-assistance leaders told commissioners that regional grant-funded fraud-prevention work returned about $6.52 for every dollar spent and produced roughly $1.34 million in cost savings for state year 2025.
Kurt Anderson, Economic Assistance division director, and Scott DeGaulder, the county’s full-time fraud-prevention investigator, reported results from Beltrami County’s regional fraud prevention investigation (FPI) program. Anderson said the county receives a regional state grant and that investigators cover Beltrami, Clearwater and Lake of the Woods counties.
Scott DeGaulder summarized 2025 outcomes, reporting grant funding of about $158,000 for the county’s FPI work and total cost savings of roughly $1,337,056 for the year when overpayments, administrative disqualification hearing (ADH) recoveries and other outcomes were combined. He said overpayments in the reporting year totaled about $134,920 and that the county’s cost-to-benefit ratio produced approximately $6.52 returned for every dollar spent; the statewide average cited in the presentation was $5.60.
The program focuses on recipient-side fraud in public assistance and uses referrals from county eligibility workers and a public tip line. DeGaulder said case referrals for the reporting year were 244 and that investigators completed nearly all cases within the reporting window; average days to complete a case was reported to be about nine days.
Commissioners asked how recovered savings are handled. Staff said the savings calculations are reported to the Office of Inspector General and that the county does not retain all funds recovered at the state level; further resources or additional grant funding would require state action.
The board was reminded that a tip line for suspected fraud is posted on Beltrami County’s website for constituents to report concerns.
