LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is taking a proactive approach to protect the Air Force's investment and taxpayer dollars. One direction in AFOSI's endeavor to watch over crucial Air Force dollars is to create a greater awareness about fraudulent acts.
As the Department of Defense comes to grips with a constrained fiscal environment, for now and the foreseeable future, an even higher premium is placed on maximizing every budget dollar and stamping out fraud, AFOSI officials said.
Even though AFOSI recovers millions of dollars every year from fraud, deceptive monetary activities throughout the DOD claim almost as much, said Special Agent John Crowe, AFOSI 11th Field Investigations Squadron.
"One message the Air Force tries to get across is that everyone is responsible for being a good steward of the taxpayer dollar," said Crowe.
"I know it's one of those big blanket phrases, but the Airman in the dormitory who may witness a fraudulent act, or the contracting officer who may discover a contract discrepancy, don't have the resources for an investigation or the ability to recover money lost from fraud," Crowe said. "That's our role."
To prevent or stop the fleecing of Air Force funds, "AFOSI works closely with other federal law enforcement agencies," he said, "and Air Force funds obtained through fraudulent means and subsequently recovered by AFOSI are returned to the Air Force."
"Two of the best teammates we have are the Air Force Audit Agency and the Defense Contract Audit Agency," said Special Agent Alex Clifford. "They'll also look at all the processes.
Even if there's nothing criminal going on, these audit agencies may find some processes that need correcting."
AFOSI defines fraud as a misrepresentation by words or conduct of a material or fact through false and/or misleading allegations or deceptive concealment.
Common fraud schemes include product substitution, bribery or kickbacks, cost mischarging and conflict of interest.
"OSI, contracting officers, and quality assurance officials can't be there all the time," Crowe said. "It's possible others may see or hear things about potential wrong doings.
We'd rather have people call anonymously with any kind of information than not to call at all."
Crowe and Clifford, who lead the Joint Base San Antonio AFOSI Fraud Office, said the Air Force wants to be proactive when it comes to fraud.
While both special agents stress that there are currently no indications of local fraudulent improprieties, promoting fraud awareness amongst JBSA personnel may help deter activities that otherwise can occur.
"The contracting offices and quality assurance personnel in JBSA have told us there is no indication of fraud," Clifford said. "However, it's important for all personnel to report questionable activity."
"This is one of my catch phrases: 'Fraud doesn't report itself.' We do need help. We're not asking anyone to be a cop or an investigator and try to determine if what they witnessed was a crime. That's for us to figure out," Clifford said.
The special agents also pointed out not all fraudulent acts are tied directly to criminal motives or intent. In some cases, it can be a process.
Being on the lookout for fraud is much like supporting a neighborhood crime watch program, Clifford pointed out.
"If something doesn't seem right, it's better to make an anonymous call than none at all. That information can be treated confidentially," he added.
"Callers don't have to feel bad if it turns out to be nothing," he said. "It's our responsibility to investigate, and there are no negative consequences for the person who reported the incident."
Suspected fraud can be reported to the AFOSI JBSA Fraud Office at (210) 348-6426. Other reporting avenues are available through the Inspector General's Office, the Whistleblower Act (www.osc.gov) and Qui Tam provisions (
www.justice.gov).