Fraud in the Lifeline free government cell phone program has become so blatant that it has come to the attention of United States Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri.
McCaskill, who earns a hefty $174,000 annual salary as a United States Senator, was shocked when she received an application to apply for a free government cell phone at her ritzy Washington, DC condominium.
As a result, the Senator has asked the FCC to look into fraud in the program and to come up with a plan to improve the program and safeguard against fraud.
KMOV-TV, a St. Louis television station, aggressively pursued Life Wireless, a Georgia company that participates in the Lifeline program, to learn more about the potential fraud. After repeated calls, Life Wireless finally released this statement about its business in Missouri:
“Only 48 percent of eligible Missouri Lifeline customers are using the program. This proves wrong the notion that the market is over saturated and a great many customers are using more than one service in violation of the rules. Life Wireless is working with the FCC and other competing service providers to create a database and eliminate duplicate accounts for the same qualified customer.”
The Federal Communications Commission says it is conduting several investigations in Lifeline program fraud. If they discover fraud, it could lead to civil or criminal penalties against the telecom providers found skirting the rules.
We salute the FCC and Senator McCaskill for their efforts to clean up with terrific program.
Wm says
I personally know one person in Georgia who has THREE free government phones and uses them to contact drug dealers.
BigJon says
This one only makes 174,000.00 a year? That poor thing must be starving to death, what with free medical insurance for life, free car & gas to drive to work, free housing, and free everything else, she better hurry up and see if she qualify’s for a “FREE GOVERNMENT CELLPHONE” she will have finally made it to the top!!