Fraud Hotline

Contact the hotline
We hope you never have a need to call the fraud hotline. But if you become aware of fraud or financial abuse, please do call. The toll free number is (800) 539-6621 or visit the website at www.tnwinc.com/reportline/university.

Overview
San Diego Unified School District values honesty and integrity. We have a commitment to cultivate high ethical standards and to promote conduct that strengthens public trust and confidence in the integrity of our work.

To help keep our reputation strong, we need everyone’s help. One tool is the fraud hotline, activated in the fall of 2006. The hotline is not handled by the Ethics Office; SDUSD has contracted with a third-party service. Follow up and/or investigation is handled by the district’s Office of Audits and Investigations, which maintains close communication with the Ethics Office.

A recent study by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners showed that organizations with fraud hotlines cut their fraud losses by approximately 50%. These savings can translate into additional dollars for our students and our schools.

The fraud hotline provides employees with a simple and effective means to report fraud or financial abuse. Reports can be made to a toll-free telephone number or on an external website. All contacts are confidential. Employees can choose to remain anonymous. Community members have access to the hotline as well.

How does the SDUSD fraud hotline work?

• An employee simply calls the toll free SDUSD Fraud Hotline at (800) 539-6621 or visits the website at www.tnwinc.com/reportline/university and follows the instructions.
• A trained, independent professional answers calls 24 hours, seven days a week. Callers are guaranteed confidentiality and can choose to remain anonymous. The voice mail system does not have caller ID enabled, and no effort will be made to identify the caller. The caller will be given a case number and can follow-up on the status of his/her report.
• Information provided by the caller is summarized and forwarded to the district’s Office of Audits and Investigations for confidential follow-up.

What is considered fraud or financial abuse?
Examples include:

• An employee is being paid inappropriately, such as receiving overtime without working overtime.
• A school fundraiser is conducted and the monies are not turned in to the school.
• A district credit card is being used for personal business.
• An employee awards a contract to a vender, who subsequently hires the employee's son.
• Supplies are being used for a side business.

Fraud Hotline Frequently Asked Questions