Anyone else following this Minneapolis daycare potential fraud story playing out in America?

[EvangelicalAboutButteredToast]

I’ve obviously been entangled in an algorithm but it’s fascinating.

From what I’ve read they are a closed community in the same way that many religious communities are and money gets sent home to Somalia

I read in several places that the ICE arrest target was raised in the summer to 3000 a day.

That shouldnt matter to the stats above. ICE are supposed to arrest non - citizens

I remember an investigation a few years ago in the UK about fake colleges and business schools, where they didn’t exist at all, or were there just to enroll students and students get student loans.

I read an interesting article about migrants from Senegal - the writer was saying that their loyalty above all is to family (not nuclear - more tribal) and it’s hard for Western people to grasp that protection and consolidation of that means it is considered acceptable to steal from or disregard those outside it.

If your basis for all law and behaviour is Do Unto Others (not in a religious way, just as a mode of living) it’s impossible to understand or live harmoniously in a society with those who think that this is weak and foolish.

This is somewhat similar it’s seems. Signing people up and taking the money… America is so so vast that I feel it probably lends itself to be easier to commit fraud. Also with state ans federal funding…all states operating in a different way ect.

as an American non - resident but I do have to pay and file my tax and recently had to pay a fine for a peice of paper I didn’t file (the American tax filing is absolutely insane! It’s not like a UK self assessment which is so easy I comparison. I have to pay 60 dollars a year just to buy the software to help me complete it) I am thoroughly fucked off that my tax dollars are funding this. This is a democrats and republican problem - both culpable in this mess.

Can you find link maybe?

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/nowhere-safe-london-reform-rising-star-mayor-3903088

This is an old story which has been re-hashed by a right wing you-tuber who is pretending it’s all been hush hush, in order to whip up anti immigration sentiment. I assume that’s the same reason the OP has re-posted it.

In fact, 70 people have been charged / convicted for this., starting back in 2022, under Merrick Garland. The Bondi/Patel “dream team” are claiming they have apprehended people who have already been convicted for this.

Fraud happened during Covid. Of course it did. It happened everywhere. In the U.K. and US, it was largely non immigrants who committed it. Often large multinational companies, sometimes individuals. CBS have listed the 10 biggest ones https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minnesota-fraud-case-biggest-pandemic-scams/

Anyone who thinks there is some kind of conspiracy to keep this quiet might ask a couple of pertinent questions. Under the CAREs Act in 2020, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) was set up to make sure money was being allocated properly and to combat fraud. Trump hired and fired and hired everyone on that committee. If there is a conspiracy to keep this quiet, why would that be, given it is his committee who is looking in to all this stuff? Why do you think it might be that this story, and not any of the others, being targeted now and presented as if it’s a newly uncovered piece of information? Why are people focussed particularly on the Somalian angle and not the fact that Feeding our Future, the organisation which knowingly approved these payments to fraudulent organisations, was run by a white woman who is currently awaiting sentence. She was convicted back in March 2025. How can this you tuber pretend he has uncovered this gold mine of fraud, when the person who led the whole thing was convicted almost a year ago?

Of course a minority of immigrants commit fraud. Just as a minority of non immigrants do. Saying so isn’t racist. What is racist is weaponising that fact as an excuse to instigate laws which restrict the wider group of immigrants who are not breaking the law.

Make no mistake about it, this is being highlighted and pushed right now to boost a narrative to serve Trump’s desire to rid the US of non white immigrants.

Yes it’s not a new story but actually those 70 convictions relate to 3 covid schemes so this YouTuber is highlighting that there is more, so much more…

its been 5 years since this was first investigated and 5 years the fraud is still going on. It’s not acceptable. Democrats and Republicans have been equally shit on this - this is a bi partisan issue. Although what does annoy me is the democrats talking like their shit don’t stink. It does. And anyone on the left jumping on their defence. Doesn’t matter what side of the political spectrum- they need to clean this up. As an American tax payer it fucks me off no end. And before I get the what about the spending on this or that…. Yes there are plenty of things being spent on in the current administration that I don’t agree with my money being spent on. Doesn’t take away from the fact on this issue, it fucks me off that it’s bad enough I has to pay money to a country I don’t live in - but the fact it gets shipped to Somalia is pretty shit.

I came of FB to take a break from pro Trump/pro ice rehetric and find it on here. 🙄😭

You poor soul 💔 truly awful that these dangerous psychopaths are treated with anything other than respect and courtesy

@Playingvideogames I don't find you respectful tbh people were trying to get you to look at different sources, yet you harp back to right wing outlets. To have a proper discussion and not just keep stating repeatedly that you're not getting the point that there has been money defrauded. There has been fraud, I agree but only taking what is clearly biased sources as gospel just tells me you aren't worth debating.This thread is too much like the posts on FB or the ones on here bashing benefits.

Tbf none of the resources she was given were unbiased or relevant - eg someone being deported from ICE in 2008 or a child who was taken back to the mothers home country by the mother…

for the record - I hate both big parties and have voted third party always (I don’t consider a wasted vote as I want people like me who don’t want to vote for as South Park so aptly put it - the douche or the turd to have their voice heard)

This was in 2020 and it was run by a white woman who employed some somalis.

You didn’t ’find’ it in here. You actively chose to click on one thread amongst hundreds because you can’t keep away from the subject. It’s obviously gnawing at you which is why you changed platforms and sought it out again. I’m absolutely sure that if you go and buy a crochet magazine you won’t find any mention of Trump.

Exactly. They are giving interviews with the Somalian flag waving in the background. The new Minnesota flag has elements that are reminiscent of the Somalia flag which is also interesting. It’s obvious that Somalia is forefront of the Somalian community’s mind and I can absolutely understand a mindset which justifies fraud of your host country if you are able to send that money back. It might even be considered financial reparation.

Do you mean Aimee Bock? Whose ex has somehow got away with a remarkably low level of blame?

www.foxnews.com/politics/meet-minnesotas-fraud-mastermind-accused-playing-god-wielding-fake-racism-claims-somali-scandal.amp

While prosecutors did not accuse Bock of buying mansions or luxury cars herself, public records show that more than $1 million flowed to her longtime boyfriend, Empress Malcolm Watson Jr., who spent the money on travel, jewelry, vehicles and cash withdrawals.
Watson appears in some of the exhibits. One showed him inside a Rolls-Royce with Bock standing next to him. He’s pictured in another photo standing in front of a Lamborghini, and that exhibit also shows designer bags, jewelry and a white Mercedes-Benz, items prosecutors labeled as "Handy Helpers Spending" to illustrate the lavish lifestyle surrounding Bock’s network.
Watson has not been charged in the Feeding Our Future cases.

That's a bit much imo : in the sense that the Somali community aren't the only ones to wave their flag as a form of protest.

https://lataco.com/why-waving-a-mexican-flag-at-a-protest-in-the-u-s-is-a-form-of-resistance

You cab debate the morality of it but it doesn't automatically mean most or even many of them are fraudsters.

Articles I've read say that around 80 were arrested. There are tens of thousands of Somalians in that state : most are probably not involved in this fraud.

Obviously this BBC article is a travel piece so will be positive, but it complicates the narrative that Senegalese people are just out to behave well to their tribe.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20201115-teraanga-the-word-that-defines-senegal

Moreover, most Senegalese are Muslim. Islam forbids stealing & fraud, and recommends charity, and the Hadith includes a version of the Golden Rule. This also undercuts the tribal-only solidarity claim.

I don't dispute tribalism being important there but the picture is more complex.

Are trying to say any Muslims won’t commit fraud because they are Muslims??

pretty sure all major religions are against fraud but it hasn’t stopped anyone yet…

No. I'm simply saying there are other bases for cultural values in Senegal, not just 'tribal only' solidarity as pp seemed to be implying.

They would hardly be the only group to start with that attitude @MaturingCheeseball mentioned and end up adapting.

For example, the historian Jacob Katz noted about Poland in fairly recent historical times that quote : 'given the religious rivalry between Judaism and Christianity, the members of each group adopted a double standard of morality towards each other. There was no religious rationale for treating outsiders according to ethical norms. Jews frowned on mistreating or cheating non-Jews not on moral grounds but from enlightened self-interest: such behaviour would bring Jews into disrepute and result in sanctions or even violence.'

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=resolve.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/892DF64BAE829EA77CED0AB448D2A2E0/9781909821705c4_<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?opi=89978449&rct=j&sa=t&source=web&url=https%3A%2F%2Fresolve.cambridge.org%2Fcore%2Fservices%2Faop-cambridge-core%2Fcontent%2Fview%2F892DF64BAE829EA77CED0AB448D2A2E0%2F9781909821705c4<u>p39-49</u>CBO.pdf%2Fminority<u>views</u>the<u>majority</u>jewish<u>attitudes</u>towards<u>the</u>polishlithuanian<u>commonwealth</u>and<u>interaction</u>with<u>poles.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0Z</u>ZThDJKHawIpWwrGtarZ&ved=2ahUKEwj29tTW2PWRAxWCXEEAHSpkKj4QFnoECB4QAQ" rel="nofollow" target="blank">p39-49CBO.pdf/minorityviewsthemajorityjewishattitudestowardsthepolishlithuaniancommonwealthandinteractionwithpoles.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj29tTW2PWRAxWCXEEAHSpkKj4QFnoECB4QAQ&usg=AOvVaw0ZZThDJKHawIpWwrGtarZ

Is anyone else keeping up with this as it widens? Apparently it’s now reaches out to Autism centres that don’t exist, transportation companies that either don’t exist or exist but have vehicles that never go anywhere and translation services. The older guy in the videos is now saying he has a bounty on his head and has to have security around the clock. I’ve seen another video where it is claimed that millions of dollars were taken out of the country to Atlanta, then to Dubai and then wired to Somalia. Similar fraud is expected across many states.

Imagine if some internet sleuths started investigating widespread fraud in the U.K. I bet it would uncover some outrageous infractions. Stuff that would make us horrified.

You’re sadly not wrong.

I saw a thing about daycare in Washington State. Someone could claim they were a low-income childminder and looking after six children. Meanwhile next-door-neighbour could claim the same - so they were listing each other’s children but only looking after their own, iyswim. This could net someone at least $118k a year.

The thing is, people are being advised . Not many could come up with these schemes unilaterally, so behind it are some “talented” crooks, no doubt creaming off significant sums.

Wherever there is a weakness, there is exploitation of it.

The fact the money is being transferred to finance war, death, starvation, and torture is abominable.