When Should I Report Fraud to the Federal Trade Commission Office of Inspector General?
File a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to report:
- Conduct on the part of an FTC employee that may be a violation of law or regulation;
- Fraudulent or other illicit activity on the part of any individual or entity contracting with or obtaining a benefit from the FTC; or
- Evidence of significant waste, abuse or mismanagement within the FTC.
File a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov if your report is about:
- The business practices of an individual, company, or entity. You also can report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov and Do Not Call violations at donotcall.gov.
How Can I Contact the OIG to File a Report?
You may contact the OIG to file a report in the following ways:
OIG Hotline: (202) 326-2800
OIG Hotline email: oig@ftc.gov
OIG Mailing Address:
Federal Trade Commission
Office of Inspector General
Room CC-5206
600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20580
FAX: (202) 326-2034
What is my Obligation to File a Complaint with the OIG?
FTC employees have an obligation to promptly report misconduct, fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement to the OIG and a duty to cooperate with the OIG.
FTC contractors also have an obligation to notify the government whenever they become aware of a contract overpayment or fraud. According to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) 52.203-13, contractors shall timely disclose, in writing, to the OIG, with a copy to the Contracting Officer, whenever, in connection with the award, performance, or closeout of this contract or any subcontract thereunder, the Contractor has credible evidence that a principal, employee, agent, or subcontractor of the Contractor has committed a violation of federal criminal law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity violations found in Title 18 of the United States Code.
What Protections Do I Have?
A complainant may request that the OIG keep the complainant’s identity confidential. The OIG will honor such request to the extent permitted by law. However, the OIG has authority to reveal the identity of a complainant if it is deemed unavoidable in the course of an investigation. In addition, individuals also have the option to file complaints anonymously; however filing an anonymous complaint makes it more challenging for the OIG to respond to the complaint.
Also, federal law prohibits government personnel from retaliating against a federal employee for making a covered disclosure to the OIG. The law further prohibits government contractors from discharging, demoting, or otherwise discriminating against their employees as reprisal for disclosing information to an authorized FTC official (including management officials or the OIG). Please visit the OIG’s Whistleblower Protection page for additional information.