US President Donald Trump has called for tougher prison sentences for people who defraud Americans through Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, as his administration steps up efforts to combat fraud.
In a video released on Saturday, Trump urged Congress to approve legislation that would introduce mandatory minimum prison sentences for people convicted of stealing from federal benefit programmes.
Under the proposed legislation, offenders would no longer be eligible for probation in qualifying fraud cases. Trump said the length of a prison sentence would depend on the amount of money stolen, while repeat offenders would face doubled sentences.
“Under our proposal, probation is no longer an option for the fraudsters,” Trump said, warning that people who steal from Americans would face lengthy prison terms.
Trump also proposed penalties for state and local officials who knowingly fail to stop fraudulent activity despite having the authority to act. He said such officials could be held personally responsible for losses that they could have prevented.
The announcement comes amid wider US efforts to tackle cyber-enabled fraud, scams and other schemes targeting American citizens. In March, the White House directed federal agencies to strengthen investigations and prosecutions of transnational criminal organisations involved in cybercrime and fraud.
The term “Yahoo Boys” is commonly used in Nigeria to describe internet fraudsters, particularly those involved in online scams targeting people abroad. US authorities have prosecuted Nigerian nationals in several major fraud cases, including business email compromise schemes. In August, Nigerian national Olusegun Adejorin was sentenced to eight years in a US federal prison after being convicted over a scheme that caused more than $7.5 million in fraudulent transfers.
However, Trump’s latest proposal, as described in his video, is broader than Nigerian internet fraud. It specifically targets fraud involving federal benefit programmes such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
Trump said the measures were intended to discourage fraudsters from continuing to steal from taxpayers and to put greater responsibility on officials who knowingly allow fraudulent activity to continue.
The proposal would still require action by Congress before becoming law. Trump did not announce specific prison terms in the video, leaving lawmakers to determine the details of any legislation.