Report Fraud

The USAID Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) mission is to protect the integrity of USAID programs and awards. Additionally, the Office of Inspector General provides independent oversight that promotes the efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity of foreign assistance programs and operations under USAID OIG’s jurisdiction. The purpose of the OIG Hotline is to receive complaints of fraud, waste, or abuse in our client agencies' programs and operations, including mismanagement or violations of law, rules, or regulations by employees or program participants.

Complainants can reach the USAID OIG Hotline in a number of different methods to report fraud, waste and abuse including:

• By completing an online form on our website
• By telephone: 1-800-230-6539 or 202-712-1023
• By mail:
  • U.S. Agency for International Development
  • Office of Inspector General
  • P.O. Box 657
  • Washington, DC 20044-065

Fraud is defined as the wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. Fraud includes false representation of fact, making false statements, or by concealment of information.

Waste is defined as the thoughtless or careless expenditure, mismanagement, or abuse of resources to the detriment (or potential detriment) of the U.S. government. Waste also includes incurring unnecessary costs resulting from inefficient or ineffective practices, systems, or controls.

Abuse is defined as excessive or improper use of a thing, or to use something in a manner contrary to the natural or legal rules for its use. Abuse can occur in financial or non-financial settings.

When submitting a complaint to the OIG, you do not have to identify yourself. All complaints submitted to the Hotline are treated with high sensitivity. When submitting a complaint to the OIG, you have the option to 1) remain anonymous 2) provide information confidentially to OIG personnel 3) Waive confidentiality and agree to be contacted by OIG personnel and others outside OIG.

If you prefer, you may submit your complaint anonymously by mail, phone, or email. However, please note that the lack of contact information prevents a comprehensive review of the complaint and will prevent further communication between you and the OIG. If you wish to enter your complaint anonymously, please take care to withhold any personally identifiable information from your complaint narrative and from any attachments.

Whistleblower Protection: OIG Hotline Operations will provide anyone protected under Federal whistle blower statutes the protections required under law.

The OIG receives several different types of reports and complaints including disclosures from implementers, allegations from anonymous tipsters, confidential complaints, letters, allegations via mail or OIG submission form, allegations via phone etc.

Most complaints fall in the following categories:

• Crime, gross misconduct, or conflicts of interest involving USAID, MCC, USADF, IAF, and DFC employees/implementers

• Please provide allegations involving fraud, waste, or abuse involving USAID, MCC, USADF, IAF, and DFC programs and awards

• False/Fraudulent claims submitted to USAID, MCC, USADF, IAF, and DFC

• Kickbacks/inducements by USAID, MCC, USADF, IAF, and DFC programs or providers

• Abuse/mismanagement in USAID, MCC, USADF, IAF, and DFC programs and awards

• Personal use of government-owned vehicles;

• Personal use of government telephones, including long distance, personal calls;

Personal use of government owned supplies or equipment;

• Falsification of official documents (timesheets, leave reports, travel vouchers, etc.);

• Contract/grant fraud;

• Inappropriate expenditures;

• Embezzlement

Complaints not addressed through the OIG Hotline include:

• Allegations by USAID implementers of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual preference (please contact your organization’s Equal Employment Opportunity officer)

• Sexual harassment, sexual assault, or employee performance issues

• Phone scams

Implementers are required to immediately report Counter-Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) incidents, including allegations of the procurement of commercial sex acts to the Contracting Officer and OIG. Implementers must also institute employee codes of conduct that are consistent with international standards on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse, which applies to all recipients of USAID funding. All USAID implementers are required to report employee misconduct involving sexual exploitation and abuse to their Agreement Officer or Contract Officer and the Mission Director in the country where the program is being implemented.

Please note, the OIG does not have authority to investigate sexual harassment against USAID employees. For such matters, please refer to the USAID Equal Employment Opportunity Office (EEO).

Additionally, the OIG does not have authority to investigate sexual harassment or employee performance issues against implementer or contractor employees. For such matters, please refer to the respective implementer HR department.

When submitting an allegation to the Hotline, please be sure to include the following information:

• Please explain how your allegation relates to fraud, waste, or abuse in USAID, MCC, USADF, IAF, and DFC programs or operations

• Please provide a complete description of the facts and circumstances surrounding the reported activities, including the evidence forming the basis of this report

• How the matter was discovered, potential witnesses and their involvement and any corrective action taken by the company

• Please give award information, including the award number/implementer number, period of performance (dates of award), disbursement amount, award value

• Please provide implementer name, if applicable

• Please provide subject name(s), contact information(s) including phone, email, address; position titles of subject

• For USAID-funded programs, please list the loss amount and provide documentation showing the amount has been credited to USAID  (if known)

• For implementers: please coordinate directly with the OIG before conducting an internal investigation

1. Initial Notification: When an USAID implementer becomes aware of a potential situation involving fraud, waste, or abuse related to a USAID project, the OIG should be notified as soon as possible.

2. OIG Review & Consultation: The OIG will review the initial allegation and, if necessary, contact the organization or individual submitting the report to further discuss the matter. If the allegation involves ongoing criminal conduct, the implementer should refrain from any activity that may interfere with any future or ongoing investigation.

3. Investigation by the OIG: In some cases, the OIG will initiate an investigation and will advise the implementer of what actions should be taken.

4. Investigation by Implementer: In other cases, the OIG and implementer may mutually agree that the implementer will conduct its own investigation.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the implementer should provide the following:

1. A report of the investigation outlining the investigative steps completed and the results.

2. A copy of all original documentation substantiating the findings of the investigation and any personnel actions taken. Documentation should include copies of personnel actions, falsified documents, statements taken, relevant emails, etc.

3. A summary of the financial impact, if any, of the activity investigated. This should include a detailed summary of any potentially disallowable costs (in accordance with either the FAR or 22 CFR 226 as appropriate) as well as any losses due to fraud or other inappropriate activity.

If you would like a status update on a complaint that you submitted, please call the Hotline number at 1 800 230-6539 or 202-712-1023 to inquire, and provide the date of your initial submission. OIG can provide a brief status update to notify you if the complaint has been processed, opened for investigation, a disclosure from a USAID implementer was referred to a USAID Mission, Bureau of Independent Office or the complaint was closed due to lack of information or investigative merit.

The OIG will contact you for additional information about the complaint, if needed. If you have additional information to disclose, we encourage you to contact us as well.