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Crop Insurance Fraud: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk
Management Agency, which administers
the crop insurance program, uses satellite imaging technology to monitor farm
acreage that is involved in a farmer's crop insurance claim. The images have
been used in courts to determine crop insurance fraud. Since 2001, less than
100 cases that used satellite images have been prosecuted. However, teamed with
data mining, the agency has put about 1,500 farms on watch for suspected fraud.
Its spot check list, developed through the use of the images, has saved
taxpayers $71-$110 million a year in fraudulent crop insurance claims since
2001.
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