The FCC launched an investigation into Lifeline providers in California and other opt-out states to determine whether these states fraudulently enrolled dead and duplicate subscribers in the Lifeline program. A group of providers in opt-out states has received Letters of Inquiry initiating formal investigations into whether state-led verification programs have led to or enabled waste, fraud, and abuse in the Lifeline program. This investigation follows the FCC Office of Inspector General’s January 2026 report determining that opt-out states received nearly $5 million in Lifeline reimbursements for
deceased individuals between 2020 and 2025.
