Introduction:
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) maintains a Hotline to facilitate the reporting of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) programs or operations. If you wish to report such allegations, you may call, send a letter, or email the OIG Hotline as identified on this page below. Allegations may be reported by FCC employees, FCC contractors, or the general public.
Issues that should be reported include:
- Contract and Procurement Fraud
- Fraud in Commission programs such as the Universal Service Fund (USF), Telecommunnications Relay Services (TRS) Fund, and FCC Auctions Programs
- Computer Crimes
- Bribery, Kickbacks, and Gratuities
- False Statements and False Claims
- Conflicts of Interest and Ethics Violations
- Travel Fraud
- Theft and/or Abuse of Government Property
- Other Violations of Federal Laws and Regulations
You are encouraged to provide relevant and specific details, including the identity of the person, company, or organization alleged to have engaged in wrongdoing; a description of the alleged impropriety; the FCC facility and program affected by the alleged misconduct; contract numbers; date(s) of alleged wrongdoing; how you are aware of the alleged impropriety; the identity of potential witnesses; and the identity and location of supporting documentation.
Hotline processing:
Upon receipt of a specific allegation of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement, the OIG may take any one of the following actions: open an investigation, audit, or inspection; refer the matter to FCC management for appropriate review and action; or refer the allegation to another Federal agency or other organizations. Allegations with limited specificity or merit may be held in abeyance until further, specific details are reported.
Confidentiality:
Individuals who contact the Hotline, via telephone or letter, are not required to provide their identity to the Hotline operator. However, persons who report allegations are encouraged to identify themselves in the event additional questions arise as the OIG evaluates or pursues their allegations.
The Office of Inspector General will protect the identity of individuals reporting allegations to the maximum extent possible by law. Confidentiality for FCC employees is established by Section 7(b) of the Inspector General (IG) Act of 1978, which precludes the IG from disclosing the identity of a FCC employee who reports an allegation or provides information, without the employee's consent, unless the IG determines that disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the investigation. Non-FCC employees who report allegations may specifically request confidentiality.
Hotline email:
You can send an email to hotline@fcc.gov
Hotline Telephone Numbers:
You can call the FCC OIG Hotline toll free number 1-888-863-2244 or call 1-202-418-0473.
