Who: Oversight.gov explains where to report federal fraud, waste, abuse, or retaliation.
When to use: Use when you are not sure which OIG to contact.
What to prepare:
- What happened
- Agency or program
- Dates
Category: Government & oversight
Corruption & waste in government
How it often plays out
A federal employee sees a contractor billing for work that was never done and a manager signing off on it. She wants to report it without retaliation. Fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs can be reported to Inspector General hotlines and Oversight.gov—there are legal protections for whistleblowers who report in good faith. She can gather what she knows: dates, agencies, people involved, and the type of concern. Then she can use Oversight.gov to find the right place or contact the OIG for that agency and submit through the official complaint or hotline.
How to spot it
Common red flags: pressure to act immediately, requests for payment by gift card or wire, offers that seem too good to be true, or unsolicited requests for your personal or financial details.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Gather what you know: dates, agencies, people involved, and the type of concern.
- Use Oversight.gov to find the right OIG or complaint channel.
- Submit through the official complaint or hotline; whistleblower protections may apply.
Don't
- Assume there is no way to report; OIGs and Oversight.gov exist for this.
- Share your report publicly before submitting through official channels.
- Ignore retaliation; report it to the appropriate OIG or OSC.
Summary & what to do
To report fraud, waste, abuse, or retaliation in federal programs, use Oversight.gov and the right Inspector General (OIG) for the agency involved.
What to do right now
- Gather what you know: dates, agencies, people involved, and the type of concern.
- Use Oversight.gov to find the right place or contact the OIG for that agency.
- Submit through the official complaint or hotline; your report goes to the correct oversight body.
Where to report
Who: USA.gov helps you complain about a federal or state agency.
When to use: Use for general agency complaints or service issues.
What to prepare:
- Agency
- What went wrong
Build your knowledge: Recommended reading — books & free websites on financial literacy and fraud awareness