WASHINGTON — Just as Congressional leaders are calling to extend a popular tax credit for first-time homebuyers, government investigators are reporting new findings that point to widespread fraud in the program.

A previously undisclosed report from the Treasury Department’s inspector general said that as of Sept. 30, the Internal Revenue Service had identified 167 suspected criminal schemes and opened nearly 107,000 examinations of potential civil violations. In late July, the I.R.S. announced its first successful prosecution.

The report will be the focus of a hearing on Thursday by the oversight subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee.

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