Hackers are using data they’ve discovered to open fraudulent savings accounts in the name of federal employees and get paid for false claims, the government’s HR agency said.
As a benefit to employment, civil servants can sign up for a pre-tax savings account sponsored by the Office of Personnel Management and administered by HealthEquity, Inc. Politico first reported that several hundred accounts, real and fake, have been leveraged to submit false reimbursement claims.
“OPM was notified by the third-party vendor who administers the FSAFEDS program of a rise in fraudulent activity,” a spokesperson for the agency said. “OPM is working with the vendor to secure impacted accounts, compensate impacted individuals and implement additional anti-fraud controls.”