The information presented is a summary of the results of QCRs of Fiscal Year 2020 and Fiscal Year 2021 financial statement audits conducted by IPAs. We encourage IPAs and Executive Directors to use the summary information in planning and conducting audits of LSC grantees.
The Office of Inspector General has updated the Audit Guide for Recipients and Auditors and its appendices. The appendix that has majority of the updates is Appendix A (The Compliance Supplement for Audit of LSC Recipients). The appendix designations have also changed to Appendices A-E.
As part of its Hotline Advisory Alerts, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is notifying grantees with the following information on recent phishing/malware attacks on businesses that use Intuit QuickBooks. We understand that some LSC grantees use QuickBooks.Security notices from Intuit advised of several cybercrime phishing schemes against QuickBooks users. In a notice dated May 25, 2022, Intuit warns of one scheme where the user is told by the perpetrator that a temporary hold was placed on their account pending verification of account information.…
After 14 years of service, supporting the mission of equal access to justice through independent, objective oversight, Inspector General Jeffrey E. Schanz retired in March. Mr. Schanz joined the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Office of Inspector General (OIG) after nearly 32 years in the federal IG community. His contributions to LSC and our OIG, and his years of dedicated public service, are much appreciated.Roxanne Caruso has assumed the duties of Acting Inspector General with the endorsement of LSC's Board of Directors, until such time as the Board hires a permanent Inspector General.…
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is informing you of a recent case involving an attorney who was employed simultaneously (full-time) at two different LSC funded programs. The attorney did not disclose the dual employment to either grantee in violation of grantee policies.The attorney worked remotely for both positions. The two jobs had similar responsibilities, and he was paid as a salaried employee at both grantees. His primary duty was to provide brief advice and counsel to clients over the phone. The attorney used his personal phone to…
On March 30, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned local governments and public services of continued ransomware attacks that have resulted in a disruption of operational services, risks to public safety, and financial losses. The FBI urges local governments and public services to take steps to prevent and recover from ransomware attacks. The OIG also believes that ransomware has been and will continue to be a threat to LSC grantees. As a result, the risks identified by the FBI in the Private Industry Notification (PIN) apply equally to other organizations such as nonprofit…
Nearly all LSC grantees make use of credit cards and/or purchase cards tied to individual retailers (Sam's Club, Office Depot, and others) to facilitate the process of making recurring or one-time expenditures. Credit cards and purchase cards offer grantees many advantages and allow grantees to make purchases with ease and efficiency.As part of its Fraud Corner Series, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) is providing Legal Services Corporation (LSC) grantees with the following information and best practices to assist you in identifying and/or preventing fraud related to the use of credit…
The FBI defines BEC schemes as scams that target businesses that regularly perform wire transfers by compromising official email accounts in an attempt to conduct unauthorized fund transfers. This recent BEC scheme is the first reported scheme that has identified and targeted an LSC grantee's financial institutions in order to gain unauthorized access to their accounts (including both banking and investment accounts).
On November 8, 2021, as a result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, and the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Legal Services Corporation (LSC), a former Information Technology (IT) Manager for an LSC grantee entered into a Pretrial Diversion Agreement (PDA) with the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO).
On December 6, 2021, in Superior Court, Orange County, CA, Luna and Cancino pled guilty to multiple counts of Grand Theft, one count of Theft of Personal Property, and one count of Unauthorized Practice of Law. Sentencing for Luna and Cancino is scheduled for June 6, 2022