Trump's National Fraud Enforcement Plan Falls Short

New Agency Focuses on Public Programs, Ignores Private Sector Fraud Suparna Goswami (gsuparna) • January 15, 2026

President Donald Trump's recent announcement about the creation of a National Fraud Enforcement division in the Department of Justice sounds like a big deal. The administration, in its fact sheets, says the new agency will fight "the rampant and pervasive problem of fraud" plaguing "federal government programs, federally funded benefits, businesses, nonprofits and private citizens nationwide."

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A newly created assistant attorney general will be tasked with setting national enforcement priorities and proposing legislative or regulatory fixes to close systemic vulnerabilities. But how much substance is really in this proposal? Will it help the millions of U.S. consumers and businesses victimized by fraud?

Trump's announcement has little to say about those victims. The main victim appears to be the ...