The White House is preparing to launch a new anti-fraud task force aimed at cracking down on abuse of government-funded programs in California and other states, sources familiar with the plans said.

Sources told CBS News that Vice President JD Vance will lead the initiative, which is expected to focus on rooting out fraud schemes that exploit taxpayer-backed benefits and public assistance programs.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order creating the task force in the coming days, sources said.

The move comes as federal officials face mounting pressure to tighten oversight of government spending and prevent criminals from siphoning off funds intended for legitimate recipients.

While details of the task force's operations have not been publicly released, sources said it would prioritize investigations into large-scale fraud networks and coordinated abuse of federal programs.

The effort is also expected to target consumer-facing scams that rely on stolen identities, fake claims, and fraudulent applications — tactics that have become more sophisticated in recent years as more government services and benefits have shifted online.

Sources told CBS News that Andrew Ferguson, a federal official responsible for protecting consumers from exploitation, will serve as vice chair of the task force.

Ferguson oversees the Federal Trade Commission, and sources said he will manage both the agency and the day-to-day activities of the task force.

The FTC plays a central role in policing deceptive business practices and consumer fraud, and Ferguson’s involvement signals the task force will likely combine traditional law enforcement tools with consumer protection efforts.

That could include coordinating investigations across agencies, tracking fraud patterns, and expanding enforcement actions against individuals and organizations accused of exploiting public programs.

The task force is expected to involve multiple federal departments and agencies, though it is not yet clear which ones will formally participate or how the administration will measure results.

Still, the leadership structure, placing the vice president at the helm and the FTC chair in a management role, suggests the White House intends to treat the effort as a major policy priority rather than a routine enforcement initiative.

If finalized as expected, the executive order would mark one of the administration’s most direct efforts to centralize federal anti-fraud strategy under the White House, emphasizing the protection of taxpayer dollars and a crackdown on abuse of public programs.

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