>> STILL HOLDING ON TO DRY
SKIES BUT TRACKING SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER CHANGES NEXT COUPLE OF
DAYS. DETAILS COMING UP.
TONIGHT, THE TARGET, 12
INVESTIGATORS EXCLUSIVE
DISASTER LOANS. THE TARGET, 12
REVIEW OF SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION DATA FOUND 81
LOANS WERE ISSUED TO FARMS
THAT DO NOT EXIST IN ALL. WE
FOUND A STUNNING 3.8 MILLION
DOLLARS IN FRAUDULENT SBA
LOANS TO GET INTO FAKE FARMS
ACROSS THE STATE LAST YEAR AND
TONIGHT VICTIMS ARE SENDING
OUT A WARNING THEY'RE
CONCERNED THAT ANOTHER ROUND
OF FEDERAL RELIEF MONEY JUST
APPROVED COULD SPELL MORE
TROUBLE FOR INNOCENT RHODE
ISLANDERS.
>> IT MADE ME CRINGE ACTUALLY
WHEN I HEARD THAT ANOTHER
OUT BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO BE
CHECKING THEIR CREDIT. EVERY
MONTH.
>> TARGET 12 INVESTIGATOR. TIM
WHITE IS HERE NOW WITH THE
EXCLUSIVE DETAILS.
>> DESPITE RAMPANT FRAUD IN
THE SBA LOAN PROGRAM LAST
YEAR. WE'VE LEARNED THE AGENCY
DID NOT CONDUCT WHAT'S CALLED
A FRAUD RISK ASSESSMENT AHEAD
OF THE MOST RECENT ONE 0.9
TRILLION DOLLAR COVID RELIEF
PACKAGE. HAVE A LOT OF LAND
BACK HERE LATE LAST YEAR,
SOMEONE STOLE MICHAEL'S MISS
IDENTITY TO TAKE OUT A LOAN IN
HIS NAME IN THE BAD GUYS WERE
SLOPPY ABOUT IT. THE $9900
ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOAN
FARM. MY NAME IS SMITH AND MY
EMAIL ADDRESS IS ONE WORD.
MIKE LEE SMITH.
>> SO I THINK SOME PEOPLE LOOK
UNAWARE HE WAS A VICTIM UNTIL
HE GOT A CALL FROM TARGET 12
ABOUT THE PHONY FARM. DO YOU
THINK THE TOWN OF BRISTOL
WOULD ZONE YOU FOR AN ANIMAL
FARM. NO, I DON'T IF I CAN GET
ARE ALSO NO CHICKENS AT
MICHELLE GRAZIANO IS WEST WAR
CONDO, THOUGH SOMEONE APPLIED
FOR AN SBA LOAN IN HER NAME
FOR A POULTRY FARM. IT IS
CREEPY. YEAH.
>> AND THERE'S JUST NO
OVERSIGHT. LIKE HOW DO THEY
KNOW THIS IS A SMALL HOME
ADDRESS OR IT IS AN ACTUAL
BUSINESS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS
JUST SENDING THIS MONEY OUT.
>> FREELY. GRAZIANO THOUGHT
THE SBA HALTED THE FRAUD WHEN
STATEMENT STOP SHOWING UP IN
THE MAIL. BUT WHEN SHE CALLED
THE REGIONAL OFFICE TO FIND
PAYMENTS WERE PUT ON HOLD FOR
A YEAR. SO THEY'RE PUSHING IT
ALSO THEY PUSHING IT OFF UNTIL
2022. SO THAT'S WHY.
>> EVERYONE OUT THERE NOW WHO
STATEMENT NEEDS TO BE AWARE
THAT IT'S JUST BECAUSE IT'S
BEEN DEFIANT DOESN'T MEAN THAT
YOU'RE LOAN AND THAT YOUR CASE
FORM.
>> WE HAVE RECEIVED NEARLY
150,000 COMPLAINTS ON OUR
HOTLINE SINCE MARCH OF LAST
YEAR. THIS IS OVER 150 YEARS
WORTH OF COMPLAINTS WHEN
COMMITTEE LAST WEEK. THE HEAD
OF THE SBA INSPECTOR GENERAL
TOLD LAWMAKERS THAT BECAUSE OF
THE VOLUME OF THEFT THAT CAME
WITH THE FIRST ROUND OF
FEDERAL RELIEF.
>> FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS WILL
BE A DECADES LONG EFFORT. SOME
LAWMAKERS IN THE GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE QUESTION
HOW MORE DISASTER LOANS COULD
BE ISSUED WHEN A FRAUD RISK
ASSESSMENT HAD NOT BEEN
CONDUCTED.
>> PROGRESS. YA KNOW THE REAL
WORLD IMPACT AS A VICTIM IF
SHE HAD TO FREEZE HER CREDIT,
MAKING IT A HASSLE WHEN SHE
NEEDS TO BORROW MONEY VERY
>> BECAUSE HOW LONG AM I GOING
TO HAVE TO KEEP MY CREDIT
FROZEN AND LOCKED. HOW LONG DO
YOU THINK INDEFINITELY. I
THINK I BELIEVE INDEFINITELY
AT THIS POINT.
>> SBA OFFICIALS TOLD
LAWMAKERS AT THAT HEARING LATE
LAST MONTH THAT THEY ARE USING
WHAT'S CALLED DATA ANALYTICS
SOFTWARE IN AN EFFORT TO
IDENTIFY BOGUS APPLICATIONS