Campus fraud hotline: A useful, proactive tool

The Anonymous Reporting Hotline at Youngstown State University, introduced 18 months ago, has become a useful tool for the university to become more aware of concerns and to proactively address them, according to Sarah Gampo, director of Internal Audit.

The hotline was introduced in January 2017 so employees can report fraud, fiscal abuse or violations of university policy anonymously when they do not feel comfortable discussing the concerns with supervisors or other university officials.

Since then, the hotline has received 13 reports, all anonymous. Ten could not be substantiated based on information reported. Two were referred for further action, and one resulted in process enhancements.

The hotline is operated by an independent company, EthicsPoint, to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. EthicsPoint is used by universities across Ohio and the nation, including Ohio University, Villanova, Auburn, Northwestern, Cornell and the University of California System.

Concerns can be reported online at www.ysu.ethicspoint.com or by calling 844-208-1697.

Both the phone and website are available 24/7 to take reports. The website provides additional information about what to report, when to report it, and how to make a report.

Reports are reviewed by YSU’s Office of Internal Audit. Aggregated statistics are reported to the YSU Board of Trustees’ Audit Subcommittee every quarter.

“The fact that it’s being used tells us that people know about it and are willing to use it – it can’t be effective if people don’t know about it or don’t trust it,” Gampo said.

Employees also have the option to discuss concerns about fraud, fiscal abuse and noncompliance directly with Gampo at Ext. 2015 or sgampo@ysu.edu

For more information about reporting fraud, fiscal abuse and noncompliance visit the Internal Audit’s website.