Government : STATE AUDITOR SAND CALLS ON IOWANS TO JOIN THE PACK OF WATCHDOGS FIGHTING FRAUD

State Auditor Rob Sand, the top watchdog for Iowa taxpayers, today called on all Iowans to join the Auditor's Office in sniffing out fraud, waste, and misuse of public funds and resources.

"It is incredibly important for people to be aware of fraud and be mindful that there are people out there trying to commit fraud," said Sand. "It's important that if you see something, you say something."

The Auditor's Office is partnering with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) for International Fraud Awareness Week, November 12-18, 2023. Tammy Simpson, the President of the Des Moines Chapter of the ACFE, joined Auditor Sand for a news conference to alert Iowans to the cost of fraud, the most prevalent forms of fraud, and red flags that can signal fraud in both the public and private sectors.

"Our personal information is not personal anymore, even though we'd like it to be," said Simpson. "Some of the most troubling types of fraud in the private sector involve identity theft and new technology that is being used to take over customer accounts."

The new technology includes the use of artificial intelligence to clone voices from recordings such as cell phone messages. Mail theft related to check fraud is also on the rise. Earlier this year, an Iowa school district lost more than $10,000 when criminals cashed two fake checks that appeared to be from the district's account. Criminals conned another Iowa school district out of more than $100,000 through an email scam.

Since taking office in 2019, Auditor Sand has uncovered nearly $28 million dollars in waste, fraud, and misuse of tax dollars. To put that into context, $28 million dollars would pay the average salaries of approximately 503 healthcare workers in Iowa.

"The magnitude of the money we're losing to fraud does have a huge impact on our lives," said Sand. "Whether it's money that could have gone to healthcare workers or teachers, we have a lot of options when it comes to how we could be using that money."

Iowans can report fraud and misuse of tax dollars in the public sector to the State Auditor's Office by emailing info@aos.iowa.gov or calling 515-281-5834. Additional information on preventing, detecting, and fighting fraud can be found on the Auditor of State website and on the office's social media platforms, Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.