What is Fraud?

According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, “Fraud includes any intentional or deliberate act to deprive another of property or money by guile, deception or other unfair means.”

Dealing with Fraud:

3 R’s - Responsibility, Recognition and Reporting

Responsibility:  Who is responsible for dealing with fraud?

Every UT Dallas employee shares responsibility for the prevention of fraud, waste and abuse.

The University of Texas System Policy, UTS118, defines your responsibilities:

UTS 118 Statement of Operating Policy Pertaining to Dishonest or Fraudulent Activities

Recognition: What should be reported?

If you see activities that could constitute theft, corruption, misuse of university equipment or vehicles or behavior that is dishonest or unethical, you should report it to the proper authorities.

Policy UTS118 lists the following examples of fraudulent or dishonest activities:

• Dishonest, illegal, or fraudulent act involving System property;
• Forgery or alteration of checks, drafts, promissory notes, and securities;
• Forgery or alteration of employee benefit or salary related items such as time cards, billings, claims, surrenders, assignments, or changes in beneficiary;
• Forgery or alteration of medical related items such as reports, charts, prescriptions, x-rays, billings, or claims;
• Forgery or alteration by employees, of student related items such as grades, transcripts, loans, or fee or tuition documents;
• Misappropriation of funds, securities, supplies, or any other asset;
• Illegal or fraudulent handling or reporting of money transactions;
• Acceptance or solicitation of any gift, favor, or service that might reasonably tend to influence the employee in the discharge of his or her official duties; or
• Destruction or disappearance of records, furniture, fixtures, or equipment where theft is suspected.

Reporting:  How do you report suspected activities?

There are several ways to report suspected fraudulent activities:

• Notify your supervisor or department head.
• Call the University Police at extension 2331 if you witness or have knowledge of a theft.
• Notify the Office of Audit and Compliance at extension 2693.
• Call the UT Dallas hotline at 1-888-228-7707 or visit the web page at https://www.tnwinc.com/webreport/default.asp
• Contact the State Auditor’s Office hotline by calling 1-800-892-8348 or submit the report online.  You may submit a form anonymously.

As required by the Governor’s Executive Order on Fraud, the Vice President for Business Affairs is responsible for the development of a program to prevent and detect fraud at UT Dallas.  His designated fraud contact person is:

For additional information, please see articles in the Business Affairs Bulletin and check this website for continuing updates.

Other resources:

• Office of Governor, Executive Order on Preventing, Detecting and Eliminating Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
• President's Memo - Ethics and Management Responsibilities of State Employees
• Texas Ethics Commission, “A Guide to Ethics Laws for State Officers and Employees”
• UT Dallas Standards of Conduct Guide
• UT Dallas Hotline Policies and Procedure
• UT Dallas Annual Fraud Compliance Training Module
• UT Dallas Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual, Ethics Policy
• UT System Ethics Policy
• Video:  “A Discussion about University Fraud”