Fraud and Abuse Reporting

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Any dishonest or improper act by an employee such as those that violate the law, waste money, or endanger public health and safety, are of concern to UNCW. In addition, North Carolina General Statute § 114-15.1 requires all state agencies, including UNCW, to report misuse of state property.

When potential violations are reported, all reports are investigated as promptly and discreetly as possible with the facts made available only to those who need to investigate and resolve the matter. UNCW Policy 02.300, Reporting and Investigation Misuse or Theft of University Property, protects employees who have reported suspected criminal activity in good faith from retaliation. Additionally, North Carolina General Statute §126-84 notes that it is the policy of the state that state employees are free from intimidation or harassment when reporting to public bodies about matters of public concern. North Carolina law also prohibits retaliation against employees who, in good faith, report unethical activity. 

I. What Should Be Reported

Dishonest or fraudulent activities include:

• Forgery or alteration of documents
• Misrepresentation of information on documents
• Misuse, mismanagement, or misappropriation of funds, supplies, or any other asset
• Improper handling or reporting of money transactions
• Authorizing or receiving payments for good not received or services not performed
• Authorizing or receiving payments for hours not worked
• Theft of university property
• Personal use of university purchasing cards, materials, or assets
• Falsification of documents or reports
• Any apparent violation of Federal, State, or local laws
• Any unusual or suspicious activity

II. How to Report

To report suspected fraud, waste, or abuse of university resources you may:

Report it to your supervisor.

Alert those in your chain of supervision and give them a chance to solve or resolve it.

Report it to Internal Audit.

Contact us at 910.962.3088 or complete our anonymous reporting form. These reports are sent directly to UNCW's Office of Internal Audit.

Report it to the Office of the State Auditor.

Contact the Office of the State Auditor at 1.800.730.TIPS or by completing the online reporting form.

Reports are initially sent to the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor. Investigation into the allegations may be completed by the Office of Internal Audit.

Report it to the North Carolina Office of State and Budget Management.

Contact the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) via email at FWA@osbm.nc.gov or by completing the online reporting form.

Report it to the University of North Carolina System Office.

Contact the University of North Carolina System Office by completing the online reporting form.

Report Retirement Fraud to the North Carolina Retirement System.

The North Carolina (N.C.) Retirement System has their own reporting hotline for items such as:

• Return-to-work violations
• Disability fraud as it pertains to the N.C. Retirement Systems, not Social Security disability
• Receipt of a deceased member's benefits
• Impersonation of an N.C. Retirement Systems employee

Contact the N.C. Retirement system at 1.855.90FRAUD (1.855.903.7283) or via email at retfraud@nctreasurer.com.