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 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.

What to report:

• Complaints or information from an employee of USAID, MCC, USADF, or IAF concerning the possible existence of an activity constituting a violation of law, rules, or regulations or mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority or a substantial and specific danger to the public health and safety.

• Complaints from ay private individual concerning the possible existence of fraud, waste, abuse, or corruption in programming funded by USAID, MCC, USADF, or IAF.

• Organizational disclosures of fraud, waste, and abuse, or other misconduct required by entities receiving USAID, MCC, USADF, or IAF funding, pursuant to mandatory disclosure obligation under the terms of an award.

• Any complaints or disclosures alleging sexual exploitation and abuse within USAID, MCC, USADF, or IAF programming.

• Types of allegations commonly reported include, but are not restricted to:

  • False or fraudulent invoices

  • Kickbacks/bribes

  • Embezzlement

  • Material support to U.S. sanctioned entities

  • False pre- and post-award certifications

  • Bidrigging/collusion

  • Human trafficking

Complaints not addressed through the OIG Hotline include:

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

• 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.

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

You may receive an automated response acknowledging receipt of your report.  OIG will review your report for relevance and completeness.  Not all reports submitted to OIG result in the initiation of an investigation.  If you have identified yourself, a reviewing official may contact you for further information.  However, if you are not contacted it does not mean that your report is not being investigated.

Important:  The Hotline does not respond to any inquiries about action taken in response to your report.