{
  "id": 11862003,
  "title": "Trump wants tougher jail terms for fraudsters targeting Americans",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/trump-wants-tougher-jail-terms-for-fraudsters-targeting-americans-11862003",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-04T06:30:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/trump-wants-tougher-jail-terms-for-fraudsters-targeting-americans/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Donald Trump has called for harsher penalties for fraudsters exploiting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security programs, warning that state and local politicians who fail to address fraud could be held personally responsible for the losses. In a video released on Saturday, Trump urged Congress to pass legislation imposing mandatory minimum sentences for those stealing from these benefit programs, eliminating the option of probation for offenders. The proposed legislation would determine prison terms based on the amount stolen, with repeat offenders facing doubled sentences. Trump also emphasized that the length of sentences would depend on the severity of the fraud, stating that the more stolen, the longer the prison term. Additionally, he highlighted that state and local politicians who are aware of fraud and fail to stop it could be held financially liable for the losses suffered by American taxpayers. Trump's proposed measures aim to deter individuals from defrauding the government and discourage politicians from ignoring preventable fraudulent activities. The president closed his announcement by warning, \"So from now on, fraudsters, we’re watching you.\"",
  "summary": "Donald Trump has proposed legislation for tougher, mandatory prison sentences for fraudsters who target American benefit programmes like Medicare and Medic Read More: https://punchng.com/trump-wants-tougher-jail-terms-for-fraudsters-targeting-americans/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Trump wants tougher jail terms for fraudsters targeting Americans",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/trump-wants-tougher-jail-terms-for-fraudsters-targeting-americans",
        "published": "2026-10-04T06:22:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}