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Reporting Fraud, Waste and Abuse

The DC Office of Contracting and Procurement’s Office of Procurement Integrity and Compliance (OPIC) has established a hotline to report fraud, waste and abuse. Reports are confidential.

Report Fraud to the Office of Procurement Integrity and Compliance (OPIC) or to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG)

  • Contact OPIC Fraud or call (202) 724-4013
  • Contact OIG or call the hotline at (800) 521-1639 or (202) 724-8477

It is the responsibility of every employee within the District government to help protect the assets and resources of the District. To accomplish this goal, employees, contractors and citizens are encouraged to report factual information suggestive of dishonest or illegal activities involving the District’s contracting and procurement process to OPIC or the District OIG.

When reporting information to OPIC or to the District OIG, be specific and provide as much detail as possible such as the following:

  • The specific nature of the wrongful or inappropriate act (give as many details as possible)
  • The name of person(s) who committed the act
  • The place where the person works or worked
  • The date, time and place the act occurred
  • The reason you believe the act is wrongful or inappropriate
  • The name, telephone number, and address of any person who can corroborate or supplement your information

If you acquire additional information or knowledge after making a report to OPIC or OIG, please report it immediately.

Note: To ensure the privacy and confidentiality of all those involved, you may not be notified about how your information is used. However, you can be sure OPIC or OIG will investigate claims and do everything possible to detect and investigate contracts and procurement fraud, waste, and abuse.

See the table below for examples of fraud, waste and abuse.

Fraud

Definition Wrong Doing
Theft or misappropriation of District resources. Personal use of District-owned vehicles, equipment or supplies.
Inappropriate expenditures of District tax dollars, embezzlement. Personal use of District telephones, including long distance, personal calls, and conducting personal business on District time.
Violations of District procurement policy or contract fraud. Corruption or official misconduct, including misuse of District information, conflicts of interest, or offering or accepting bribes.
Tampering with or falsification of official documents (timesheets, leave reports, travel, etc.). Excessive or unnecessary purchases.

Waste

The intentional or unintentional, thoughtless or careless expenditure, consumption mismanagement, use, or squandering of District resources to the detriment or potential detriment of the District. Waste also includes incurring unnecessary costs as a result of inefficient or ineffective practices, systems or controls.

Abuse

Excessive or improper use of a thing, or to employ something in a manner contrary to the natural or legal rule(s) for its use. Intentional destruction, diversion, manipulation, misapplication, maltreatment, or misuse of District resources. Extravagant or excessive use as to abuse one’s position or authority. Abuse can occur in financial or non-financial settings.

About OPIC

The Office of Procurement Integrity and Compliance (OPIC) is the internal and external audit, review, and compliance arm of DC Office of Contracting & Procurement (OCP). OPIC is responsible for:

  • Conducting procurement related audits and reviews for compliance
  • Detecting fraud, waste and abuse in procurement operations internal and external to OCP
  • Assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of District agencies’ procurement operations
  • Assessing agency contracting officer's ("ACO") qualifications to determine the appropriate level of delegation of contracting authority