Premier Ed Stelmach says Alberta will pursue and prosecute anyone who scammed a new government program designed to help people struggling with monster rent increases.

"Anybody that rips off the Alberta taxpayer, we're going to go after them hard," the premier said Thursday. "It's there to assist those families that either recently moved to Alberta or are facing eviction."

Media reports this week have quoted two anonymous government employees who say the program has few checks and balances, leaving it wide open to scammers.

Staff were ordered not to turn anyone away and cheques for thousands of dollars have been doled out, draining more than half the fund's $7-million budget in just two months, said the anonymous sources.

Employment Minister Iris Evans has ordered an internal audit and the premier is promising the results will be made public.

Stelmach also says the province is prepared to add more money to the rent assistance fund, as thousands of Albertans continue to struggle to pay their rent in the province's super-heated economy.

"It's a new program put in place because of the thousands of people moving to Alberta in spite of issues tied to housing," he said. "There's jobs and opportunity here."

But NDP Leader Brian Mason said Stelmach should be taking responsibility for a badly managed program.

"People administering this program were told to just push the money out the door," Mason said in an interview. "Mr. Stelmach needs to stand up and be accountable for that."

The Liberal Opposition is calling for an auditor general's investigation of the housing fund. Housing critic Dave Taylor said there needs to be a thorough review of whether there has been widespread abuse of the program.

Taylor has written a letter of concern to Auditor General Fred Dunn asking for an immediate investigation. A spokesman for Dunn said the office is reviewing the request and expects to respond within days.