Fraud & Abuse Reporting

Office of Internal Audit Office of Internal Audit

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 and should be reported.

Investigations are conducted by Internal Audit in response to allegations of fraud and abuse, conflicts of interest, nepotism, and other matters in violation of state and federal regulations, university policy, or other guidance.

UNCW Policy 02.300, Reporting 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.

What Should Be Reported

Dishonest or fraudulent activities include:

Forgery, alteration, or misrepresentation of information within documents
Misuse, mismanagement, misappropriation, or theft of university funds, supplies, or any other asset
Improper handling or reporting of money transactions
Authorizing or receiving payments for hours not worked, goods not received, or services not performed
Personal use of university purchasing cards, materials, or assets
Any apparent violation of Federal, State, or local laws
Any other unusual or suspicious activity

How to Report It

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 N.C. Office of State Budget and Management
Contact the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) via email or by completing the online reporting form.

Report It to the UNC 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 Retirement System has its 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.

Fraud Flyer

The Office of Internal Audit has created a Fraud Flyer that can be placed on bulletin boards within departments and throughout campus as a reminder to report fraud, waste, or abuse using any of the methods noted above. A copy of the flyer is located here, or feel free to reach out for a printed flyer to post in your department or around campus!