Let's Tackle Fraud One Tip at a Time
Date: November 21, 2019
Every week, there is usually an international awareness event, such as International Leadership week or World Pi week. But did you know this week (November 17-24) is International Fraud Awareness Week? Many agencies and businesses will focus on raising fraud awareness, which is great. But, on a personal and professional level, how will you be able to conquer it? A starting point is to be vigilant.
To help you do so, we wanted to provide you with a few tips and resources to help you tackle fraud throughout the year.
- Fighting fraud is everyone's responsibility, every day.
- Fraud is not a four-letter word - Discuss your fraud risks so you can address them.
- When you are thinking about fraud risks, "Think Like a Fraudster".
- Build on what you already have and what others have done - Don't reinvent the wheel, just adjust as needed.
- If you see something…Say something…Do something.
In your personal lives, many of you probably have received calls from fraudsters saying you owe taxes or scammers trying to get your social security number or money or you become an identity theft victim. Here are some great resources to keep you aware of current scams and help you if you fall victim to a scam.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
FTC Consumer Information - Scams
There are many helpful resources to help agencies build out their antifraud programs. Two of the government-wide resources that we recommend are the following:
GAO's Fraud Risk Management Framework - a framework for managing fraud risks in the government
The Antifraud Playbook – a how to guide for implementing the GAO’s where you can pick and choose the plays that will help develop or enhance your antifraud efforts.
By using these resources and talking about our fraud risks and fraud scams, we can be more effective in tackling fraud throughout the year.
You can report any suspected fraud incidences through your agency fraud, waste and abuse hotline or GAO’s FraudNet at 1-800-424-5454 or by filling out an online form.
To find out more about FIT, visit https://fiscal.treasury.gov/fit/ FIT is part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service, whose mission is to promote the financial integrity and operation efficiency of the federal government through exceptional accounting, financing, collections, payments, and shared services. To find out more about the Fiscal Service, visit fiscal.treasury.gov or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.