A new national survey finds voters increasingly view fraud and misuse of taxpayer money as a major factor driving higher costs for families, as the Trump administration expands its anti-fraud campaign ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The March survey, conducted by Deep Root Analytics for the State Financial Officers Foundation among 1,000 registered voters, found that 87 percent of voters are concerned about fraud or misuse of taxpayer money in government programs, including 50 percent who said they are very concerned and 37 percent who said they are somewhat concerned.
The poll also found that 83 percent of voters believe fraud or misuse of government funds contributes to higher taxes or costs for families either a great deal, 46 percent, or a fair amount, 37 percent. Just 14 percent said fraud does not contribute much or at all to higher costs.
When asked which issues should be top priorities for elected officials, 89 percent of voters rated lowering the cost of living as a high priority. Eighty-four percent said making communities safer should be a high priority, 80 percent said protecting the country from international threats should be a high priority, and 65 percent said enforcing immigration laws should be a high priority.
Voters also expressed skepticism that government is effectively preventing fraud. Twenty-six percent said almost all or most attempted fraud is stopped, while 66 percent said only some or practically none is stopped. Seventy percent said there is too little oversight over government spending and that more aggressive fraud investigation and prevention measures are needed, while 30 percent said additional anti-fraud efforts could create more problems than the fraud itself.
The survey results come as President Donald Trump has put Vice President JD Vance in charge of the administration’s anti-fraud effort, and the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud has pursued what Vance has described as a “whole government” approach across multiple agencies. On April 2, Vance said federal law enforcement was taking down fraudsters in the Los Angeles area who allegedly stole more than $50 million by defrauding healthcare and hospice systems.
Since March 25, CMS has suspended 221 hospice and home healthcare providers in California over suspected fraud, and administration officials say that number is expected to rise. FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau led the California arrests, has hundreds of fraud investigations underway nationwide, and is making fraud a top priority under Trump and Vance’s leadership.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Tuesday that the Department of Justice currently has “8,000 fraud matters underway” nationwide and is coordinating closely with Vance’s task force.
Before the Trump administration launched its federal initiative, the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF), which commissioned the new survey, had already positioned itself as a partner in state-level anti-fraud efforts. According to the group, its members oversee more than $3 trillion in public funds. The group said its members protected or returned $28 billion for taxpayers in 2025.
According to SFOF’s newly released oversight report, its members protected or returned $28 billion for taxpayers in 2025, including $5.7 billion uncovered through waste, fraud, and abuse investigations and another $22.3 billion generated through investment earnings and unclaimed property programs.
The report highlighted major findings in several states, including roughly $1.86 billion in excessive local government spending identified in Florida, about $1 billion in Medicaid waste and lapsed education funds uncovered in Kentucky, more than $1 billion in salary inefficiencies identified in North Carolina, and more than $518 million in waste and missed funds found in Utah. The report also said state treasurers generated billions in investment earnings, including $8 billion in North Carolina, $1.86 billion in Wyoming, and $1.7 billion in South Carolina.
OJ Oleka, CEO of the State Financial Officers Foundation, asserted that government fraud contributes to higher costs for families.
“Americans rightly understand that fraud is the invisible tax worsening the affordability crisis,” Oleka said. “Taxpayer dollars being stolen and wasted by fraudsters isn’t just a criminal issue, it’s an economic one.”
