Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully today unveiled a new multi-agency task force to investigate fraud in In-Home Supportive Services and serve as a potential model for other California counties to follow.

Flanked by team members in black shirts reading "IHSS Fraud Task Force" Scully also announced the arrest Wednesday of 12 people in Sacramento County who are accused of defrauding the in-home ware program or other social services.

The 12 are accused of bilking government systems out of $352407.

"This arrest sweep that we had yesterday" Scully said "was what I refer to as an early warning shot over the bow so to speak that our task force is up and running and aggressively looking for fraud."

Scully called on the public to call a toll-free number or send an e-mail to the team to report suspected fraud.

The task force other officials in Scully's office said brings together county state and federal investigators in more collaborative ways than in the past. As a team investigators are making more use of databases to crosscheck program participants who either receive care'>care or provide it to more than 40000 needy seniors and disabled people. The in-care program statewide serves more than 400000.

At various times Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other politicians have attacked the state's in-home care program as flawed by fraudulent practices. The program is half paid for by federal dollars with the state counties and individual participants footing the bill for the rest.

The program's intent is to allow low-income seniors and disabled people to remain in their homes with the help of caregivers rather than forcing them into nursing homes which are a greater cost to public coffers. The program has been the state's fastest growing social service program.

Scully said she has no estimate for how much fraud exists in the in-home care program but she said her office has received complaints and discovered many "red flags" that point to possible theft.

State legislators this year voted for large cuts to be made to the in-home care program to help fill a massive budget deficit. But they approved about $10 million to be distributed in various ways to fight fraud within the service.

Sacramento County according to county documents was assigned about $1.7 million of that money. The total amount of anti-fraud money available statewide though is about $26.4 million counting matching federal funds and required county contributions to the effort.

Representatives of the California Department of Health Services are aiming for Sacramento County's task force effort to be replicated elsewhere.

"This is a pilot we are so proud to be a part of" said Bob O'Neill deputy director for audits and investigations for the Department of Health Services.

He appeared at the press conference with Scully along with representatives of the federal Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"We want you to know" O'Neill said "that the state will continue to work in partnership with federal county city and local authorities to prevent fraud and to make sure that precious program dollars are always available to provide necessary services to needy beneficiaries."

Scully said that through various schemes the dozen people arrested Wednesday allegedly stole a total of $138907 in in-home care funding; about $70000 in Social Security Administration money; and $143500 in county money that offers childcare subsidies to people who are working or studying.

Scully said the anti-fraud program will "pay for itself" in savings to the public.