FCC Commissioner ‘Outraged’ At What CBS4 Investigation Revealed About Free Phone Program

FCC Commissioner ‘Outraged’ At What CBS4 Investigation Revealed About Free Phone Program « CBS Denver:
"Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Ajit Pai says a CBS4 probe of a government cellphone program revealed fraud, waste and abuse in the government’s Lifeline cellphone program that he called “shocking.”
“The CBS4 story highlighted the fact that in places there are no safeguards, workers are signing up people using fraudulent certifications,” said Pai, one of five FCC commissioners.
...“This is an FCC program, and if we don’t take action, fraud like this will persist,” said Pai.
The 2014 CBS4 investigation showed repeated instances of fraudulent activity and waste in the Lifeline program in Denver.
...Vendors typically receive $3 for every phone they are able to give out. In other cases, vendors said a CBS4 producer could simply show someone else’s electronics benefit card in order to secure a free phone and service.
Pai said when he played the report June 18 for the public and his four fellow commissioners, “There was an audible gasp as you were able to get service based on someone else’s EBT card for example...”