The social benefits fraud associated with "false social security numbers" "is measured in millions of euros and not billions," according to a Senate report released Wednesday, which belies estimates relayed recently and suggests ways to improve controls.
The figure of 14 billion euros exaggerated
The work of parliamentarian Jean-Marie Vanlerenberghe (centrist Union), commissioned by the Social Affairs Committee of the Senate, was aimed at "investigating" the "reality" of "the existence of a massive fraud at registration to the Security by people born outside France ", while a financial loss of" 14 billion euros per year "has been relayed in recent months in the public debate by politicians like Marine Le Pen and Senator Nathalie Goulet ( UDI).
Registration fraud is based on identity theft and the submission of false documents. Its damage to public finances has been evaluated "between 200 and 802 million euros" by the Sandia - service of the National Pension Insurance Fund (Cnav) responsible for the registration of persons born abroad - and the Central Directorate of Border Police (DCPAF). This estimate is based on a check performed "from a representative sample of the entire 'stock' of Sandia records" since 1988.
"Not an extraordinary subject"
Regarding the cases created in 2017, the risk is "of the order of 5.6 million euros," according to the report. But this figure already advanced by the government is only related to the 600,000 or so social security numbers created during the year.
The damage to registration fraud, "measured in millions of euros and not in billions", makes it "not an extraordinary subject in terms of social fraud", concludes the rapporteur, referring to "a risk to be relativized ". However, the report highlights "the increasing sophistication of fraudsters" and believes that the phenomenon "remains a real concern that organizations still need to progress."