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:: FRAUD, WASTE and ABUSE HOTLINE
The City of Riverside is committed to conducting its affairs ethically and incompliance with the law. We take pride in our employees and the high quality services we provide to the community.
About the HOTLINE
The Fraud Hotline is designed for reporting suspected cases of fraud, waste or abuse. The Fraud Hotline is not a substitute for employment-related grievances or appeals, as existing City policy and procedures provide channels for resolution of these issues.

While face-to-face reporting is always the best form of communication, it is not always feasible. Current City procedures and /or department instructions state that all complaints should be sent through the chain of command. However, recognizing that employees are not always comfortable going through the chain of command, the Fraud Hotline provides another vehicle to report waste, fraud or abuse.
Confidentiality
Complainants can choose to remain anonymous. The Internal Auditor will maintain the confidentiality of all complaints, including documents. Caller ID has been disabled for the phone Fraud Hotline. Complaints submitted online are routed directly to the Internal Auditor.
Whistleblower Protection
The City will not retaliate, nor will it tolerate retaliation against those who, in good faith, report suspected fraud, waste and abuse or who participate in an investigation of suspected violations. An act of retaliation should be reported immediately to the Internal Audit Manager for referral to the Human Resources Director, who will investigate and such report as a potential City policy violation. In addition, those who bring matters to the Internal Audit Manager are protected through the State of California Whistleblower Protection Act.
Hotline Process
In order to process your complaint, a minimum amount of information is needed. Please ensure that you have the following information before contacting the Hotline:
  • You are reporting fraud, waste, abuse that involves a City of Riverside employee(s), a contractor(s) or a vendor(s) doing business with the City of Riverside.
  • You know the date and time when alleged incident occurred.
  • You can describe the alleged incident (what occurred and where).
  • You know who the alleged suspect involved is.
Reporting Fraud, Waste or Abuse
Call the Fraud, Waste & Abuse HOTLINE at (951) 826-2232 or complete and submit online complaint form. The Internal Audit Manager will investigate all complaints received related to fraud, waste and abuse. Complaints pertaining to City employees in the areas of employee relations, discrimination, harassment, safety, workers’ compensation fraud, and related personnel matters will be forwarded to the Human Resources Director for appropriate handling and investigation, which may include the Police Department and/or outside investigators, depending on the nature of the issue and whether criminal conduct is alleged.
Fraud Prevention, Reporting and Investigation Policy
The City has implemented a Fraud Prevention, Reporting and Investigation policy to provide communication and guidance to employees when misuse or misappropriation of City assets. The policy (Number 01.011.00) can be found in the City’s Intranet portal, in the Administrative Manual.
What Constitutes Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
Term Definition Examples
Fraud Any intentional act or omission designed to deceive others, resulting in the victim (City of Riverside) suffering a loss and/or the perpetrator achieving a gain.
  • Falsifying financial records to conceal the theft of money or City property.
  • Theft or misuse of City money, equipment, supplies and/or other materials.
  • Soliciting or accepting a bribe or kickback.
  • Falsifying payroll information.
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    Waste The intentional or unintentional, thoughtless or careless expenditure, consumption, mismanagement, use, or squandering of City resources.
  • Unnecessary spending of City funds to purchase supplies or equipment.
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    Abuse Intentional destruction, diversion, manipulation, misapplication, maltreatment, or misuse of City resources. Extravagant or excessive use as to abuse one's position or authority. Abuse can occur in financial or non-financial settings.
  • Failure to report damage to City equipment or property.
  • Receiving favor for awarding contacts to certain vendors.
  • Creating unneeded overtime.
  • Travel choices that are contrary to existing travel policies or are unnecessarily extravagant or expensive.
  • Making procurement or vendor selections that are contrary to existing policies.
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    Fraud & Audit Links
    Internal Audit Hours
    8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
    Monday - Friday
    3900 Main Street - 6th Floor
    For more information, call the Internal Audit Division at
    951-826-5688.
    Email Internal Audit
     
    Mission
    Our mission is to provide the City Manager and Department Directors independent, objective and useful information regarding the services and functions of the City government.
    Goals & Objectives
    The goals of Internal Audit are to promote accountability to the public and to improve the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of City government. Our objective is to conduct audits that enable the City to reduce, avoid or recover costs; and to alert City Management to potential problems that could undermine the public’s trust in City government.