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County Comptroller
 

Milwaukee County Courthouse with a dark overlay

Fraud, Waste & Abuse

Audit Services Division, Office of the Comptroller

Fraud, Waste & Abuse Hotline

For incidents of fraud, waste or abuse in County government and concerns over inefficient Milwaukee County government operations

Mailing Address: Fraud Hotline - Audit Services Division, 600 North Plankinton Avenue, Ste 600, Milwaukee, WI 53203

The Audit Services Division within the Office of the Comptroller investigates allegations of fraud, waste and abuse in Milwaukee County government operations, in an effort to promote honesty, efficiency and public confidence in government and its representatives.

These allegations could involve county employees, elected officials, vendors, contractors and program participants. Employees and members of the public who report allegations of misconduct are essential to minimizing instances of fraud, waste and abuse.

What is Fraud, Waste & Abuse?

Fraud is gaining something of value through willful misrepresentation. The person intended to provide untrue information in order to get something. Fraud may include:

  • An employee punches in at work and then goes home until it is time to punch out, meaning the employee gets paid while not actually doing the employee’s job
  • A person does not report accurate income or family information to the County or provides other information to the County that the person knows is not true in order to get public assistance
  • A contractor knowingly sends invoices for payment to a county department for services which were not performed

 

Fraud Hotline Flyer

Downloadable PDF with information on reporting fraud and other crimes

 

What to Include In a Report:

When making a report, provide dates, times, names, the person’s role in Milwaukee County, locations, possible witnesses, equipment or vehicles used and any other information that will help in an investigation.

You may remain anonymous when reporting fraud, waste or abuse in Milwaukee County! If you wish to remain anonymous, we recommend that you use the Fraud Reporting Form to submit your concerns. You may also make a report by telephone, email, or mail. Be aware that your contact information may be associated with those reports. However, if you state in your phone call, email, or letter that you wish to remain anonymous as a condition of providing information, we will keep your report confidential to the greatest extent possible under the law.

The Audit Services Division does not investigate:

What Happens to Complaints:

Complaints of alleged fraud, waste and abuse are reviewed to determine the best response to the complaint. The review process considers a number of factors such as the provided information, the impact the alleged actions have on county operations and the use of investigation resources. Generally, there are three options for responding to a complaint: open an investigation, refer to a more appropriate office, department or agency or decline to take further action for one or more reasons.

Investigation generally has two outcomes: Substantiated, meaning that the evidence supports that the alleged fraud, waste or abuse occurred; or unsubstantiated, meaning that the available evidence cannot support that the alleged fraud, waste or abuse occurred. An investigation may be administratively closed, meaning the investigation is closed for one or more reasons prior to reaching a determination.

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Fraud, Waste & Abuse Hotline

For incidents of fraud, waste or abuse in County government and concerns over inefficient Milwaukee County government operations

Mailing Address: Fraud Hotline - Audit Services Division, 600 North Plankinton Avenue, Ste 600, Milwaukee, WI 53203