Overview
- The annual report on improper activities documents $4.6 million in monthly service fees for mobile devices that showed no activity.
- EDD procured 7,224 cellphones and wireless hotspots by December 2020 to support remote Unemployment Insurance work during COVID‑19.
- Auditors identified 6,285 devices unused for at least four consecutive months, with roughly half idle for two years or more and 99 never used.
- As of April 2025 the department employed 1,787 call‑center workers yet paid for 5,097 mobile lines, highlighting persistent overbilling.
- EDD canceled 2,825 lines in April and now terminates service after about 90 days of inactivity, while the audit also cites other agencies’ lapses, including a $171,446 overpayment at CARB.