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Are you looking for the PPP loan guarantee list website? It doesn't exist

Are you looking for the PPP loan guarantee list website? It doesn't exist

3 minutes, 38 seconds Read

Social media is abuzz with videos claiming that a list of active warrants has been released for people believed to be involved in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud.

Google Trends search data showed breakout searches for people searching for the list, including the terms “2024 PPP Loan Guarantee List website” and “PPP loan website search.”

Most of these searches lead nowhere because, perhaps unsurprisingly, no such list exists.

PPP Loan Arrests: 4 sentenced to 8 to 10 years in prison for millions of dollars in PPP loan fraud

It's true that people have been arrested, charged and convicted of PPP loan fraud, but the idea that there is a list of active warrants for PPP fraudsters is pure fiction.

Why are people looking for a list of PPP loan guarantees?

While it's not clear who first made the claim, several videos have surfaced over the past day claiming that there is a list of active arrest warrants for people who may have provided fraudulent information when signing up for PPP loans.

A video uploaded by TikTok user “PI MOM” has received more than five million views since it was posted a day ago, claiming that “arrest warrants are being dropped” and that law enforcement is arresting people during COVID-19 -Crisis that defrauded the PPP program pandemic in 2020.

Other users have used the platform to joke that the program is “a trick” based on how easy it is to get the loan, or to punish people who should have known better.

The problem with these claims is that arrest warrants are not issued on a publicly distributed list. While anyone can look up an active warrant list, doing so requires searching a database using specific information about a person such as name, nickname, race or age.

However, there are public databases that show who received a PPP loan that may have been distributed and, like a game of telephone, misinterpreted as a list of companies that allegedly committed fraud.

How can I see who received a PPP loan?

You can visit our PPP loan database and search for publicly available information from the US Small Business Administration (SBA).

Our PPP loan database defaults to Escambia County, Florida. However, you can change the state and specify the county to get a summary of approved loans by industry, loan amount and top borrowers.

You can also use the search box at the top of the database to search for specific companies.

Have people been arrested for PPP loan fraud?

What makes this claim a bit messy is the fact that it's rooted in truth, but didn't just appear. The government has been pursuing cases of PPP fraud for years.

According to Bloomberg Law, the government appears to be changing its strategy and targeting cases that involve more technical violations in PPP loans.

The SBA Inspector General estimates that there was over $64 billion in PPP fraud. Ongoing investigations led the government to extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting PPP funds to ten years.

Could someone get a PPP loan during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Not everyone could get a PPP loan, but the requirements were minimal. The loans were available to small businesses, nonprofits, veterans organizations, tribal businesses, sole proprietors, independent contractors and the self-employed.

The company was required to begin operations on February 15, 2020, and with some exceptions, only companies with 500 or fewer employees could apply.

Businesses applying for the loan were required to certify in good faith that “current economic uncertainty makes this loan application necessary to support the applicant’s ongoing business operations.”

PPP loans should cover payroll costs, employee benefits and taxes. It could also be used to cover mortgage interest, rent and utilities if these were in place before February 15, 2020.

How do arrest warrants work?

There are several types of arrest warrants, but arrest warrants are legal documents signed by a judge that allow law enforcement to arrest the person named in the warrant.

The arrest warrant contains information about what crime the named person is alleged to have committed and may also contain rules about when and how officers can arrest that person.

Once a warrant is issued, a police officer can arrest the person. The person is usually not informed of the arrest warrant until the time of arrest, when officers are required to inform them of the arrest warrant and the allegations against them.

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