OIG reviews have revealed that many LSC grantees have been using Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions, in which payments are transferred electronically from one verified bank account to another. Previously, grantees' degree of usage varied considerably from program to program.ACH Transactions (7/20/2020)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 them in identifying and/or preventing fraudulent activity.OIG reviews have revealed that many…
The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), announced the release of the report entitled, "Top Challenges Facing Federal Agencies: COVID-19 Emergency Relief and Response Efforts" including a section on the Legal Services Corporation.On June 17, 2020, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), published its report on the top challenges facing Federal agencies related to COVID-19 emergency relief and response efforts.See the report's introductory video and the full report, which outlines common areas identified as top pandemic-related challenges by thirty-seven Inspectors…
The COVID-19 crisis is resulting in new scams that target businesses including nonprofits as they adjust to changes in how they conduct business. Unfortunately, scammers are creating new ways to fraudulently take advantage of businesses during this vulnerable time. As grantees work diligently to meet the needs of their clients and employees, it is also important to be vigilant to indicators of scams aimed at defrauding businesses.IndexIntroductionPandemic Response Accountability Committee: Fraud Alerts, Issued by OIGs, Help Americans from Becoming Victims of FraudScams that Pose a Risk to…
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 resources relating to Coronavirus/COVID-19 frauds and scams.OIG Fraud Corner articles issued on March 24, 2020, and April 9, 2020, discussed fraud and purchasing schemes relating to COVID-19 and encouraged grantees to share that information with their employees and clients. This article addresses issues that may arise in conjunction with the virtual environment that is being embraced by LSC grantees, their employees, and their…
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 resources relating to Coronavirus/COVID-19 frauds and scams.A March 24, 2020, OIG Fraud Corner article discussed fraud schemes relating to COVID-19 and encouraged grantees to share that information with their clients. This article deals with potential price gouging, price-fixing, and bid-rigging scams that can adversely affect LSC grantees and their clients as they make critical purchases during the COVID-19 crisis. As the United…
As part of its Fraud Corner series, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) is providing Legal Services Corporation (LSC) grantees with the following best practices to aid you in preventing and detecting thefts through third party payment (TPP) services. This article provides guidance on risk factors relating to TPP service thefts and measures employees can take to prevent and detect such thefts.Millions of individuals and businesses use TPP services (or "mobile payment platforms") to make and share payments with friends, family, and businesses. TPP vendors like PayPal, Venmo, and Apple Pay…
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 resources related to Coronavirus/COVID-19 frauds and scams. Consistent with concerns discussed during a recent LSC COVID-19 LSC/grantee conference call, many of these scams could target LSC grantees and their client communities. The purpose of this Fraud Corner is to increase grantee awareness of possible scams and encourages grantees to proactively share information with clients to help prevent them from falling prey to scams.In a…
With the rapid developments related to COVID-19, the Legal Services Corporation, Office of Inspector General (OIG) is aware of the challenges that grantees are facing to continue operations and serve the needs of clients.
As part of its Fraud Corner Series, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) is providing Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Grantees with the following information on "best practices" to help them identify and prevent fraudulent activity, and specifically to remind them of the impact nepotism may have on program activities. Nepotism occurs whenever a hiring, contracting or other business decision is made based on a family or other close personal relationship rather than the objective merits of the job candidate or business proposal.As a condition of receiving LSC funds, LSC's basic field grant…
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is issuing this bulletin to LSC grantee Executive Directors (EDs) and the Independent Public Accountants (IPAs) with whom they contract to conduct their annual financial statement audits. The purpose is to provide EDs and IPAs with information pertaining to the 2018 Revision of Government Auditing Standards issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).