Eye on ED

Thousands of entities like school districts and universities participate in Federal education programs and receive Federal education funds each year. Who helps ensure that those entities expended those funds appropriately? Nonfederal auditors! Learn about nonfederal audits and the OIG in this episode.

Estoy segura de que todos nuestros oyentes en alguna manera tienen experiencia con los préstamos estudiantiles. Algunos han sacado un préstamo para pagar sus estudios universitarios, otros quizás han ayudado a sus hijos obtener un préstamo, o conocen a alguien que ha obtenido uno. Y desafortunadamente esto también lo saben las empresas deshonestas, los delincuentes cibernéticos, y los estafadores. Por esta razón ellos se dirigen a los prestatarios de préstamos estudiantiles con la intención de llevar a cabo esquemas o estafas de fraude. Estas estafas tienen el propósito de separarte de tu dinero, robar tu información personal, o ambas cosas. Caer víctima de estas estafas tiene consecuencias muy graves como el robo de tu identidad, el abrir de cuentas de tarjetas de crédito u otros préstamos usando tu nombre, el robo de tu cuenta bancaria. Y también puede tener un efecto negativo en tu puntaje de crédito. Los esquemas y las estafas de préstamos estudiantiles no es algo nuevo, y por décadas la Oficina del Inspector General del Departamento de Educación ha estado luchando para pararlos y alertando de estas actividades—cómo identificarlas, evitarlas, y qué hacer si piensas que has sido víctima de un fraude.

Cyber criminals and fraudsters are targeting student loan borrowers with schemes and scams aimed at separating you from your money, stealing your personal information, or both. The impact of falling victim to these scams can be severe—your identity stolen, credit cards and loans taken out in your name, your bank account zeroed out, and your credit score ruined.Student loan schemes and scams are not new, and the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General has been fighting them and alerting people to them for decades. In this episode, we talk about student loan scams—how to spot them, how to avoid them, and what to do if you think you’ve been a victim of one. Leading our discussion is Rob Mancuso, Assistant Inspector General for Investigation Services. Rob’s team of law enforcement professionals is leading the OIG’s efforts to help identify and stop these student loan scammers. And he has information you need to keep your personal information and your money safe.

July 30 is National Whistleblower Appreciation Day—a day our nation celebrates the brave individuals who step forward to report fraud, corruption, and other wrongdoing in government programs, sometimes at great personal risk. Their contributions have helped to root out fraud and restore integrity in government programs. Fighting fraud and ensuring integrity in U.S. Department of Education programs and operations is part of our mission here at the Office of Inspector General. So this is the perfect time to talk about whistleblowers, whistleblower reprisal, and whistleblower protections involving Federal education programs and the role of the OIG in those efforts. Our guests:Nicole Gardner, Special Agent in Charge of Headquarters Operations in the OIG’s Investigation Services component. Antigone Potamianos, Counsel to the Inspector General and a member of the OIG’s senior leadership team.  Have more questions about whistleblower protections? Learn more here:https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotlinewb.html Suspect fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, or violations of laws and regulations involving ED funds or programs? Report it to our Hotline! This includes allegations of suspected wrongdoing by ED employees, contractors, grantees, schools and school officials, persons in positions of trust involving ED funds or programs, collection agencies, recipients of student financial assistance, or lending institutions. If you have knowledge of any wrongdoing involving ED funds or operations, let us know!https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotline.html