Auburn, Calif.- Placer County has long had a fraud policy to assist employees with reporting suspected fraud, waste and abuse, but not confidentially. However, under a $6,500 contract with Convercent, a compliance services provider, they’ll now be able to report it anonymously by phone and online 24/7.
The contract, as well as the county’s whistleblower program, will be managed by the Auditor-Controller’s Office. The Placer County Board of Supervisors today approved changes aimed at strengthening the program.
“According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the number one detection for fraud is a fraud hotline, through tips,” said Placer County Auditor-Controller Andy Sisk. “Adding to our existing internal audit program, it’s a crucial tool for making sure our employees are able to easily and comfortably report fraud whenever they suspect it.”
The whistleblower hotline service will only be available to Placer County employees initially, but is planned to expand to the public in a second phase of its implementation. The hotline is expected to be available to employees in early March.
“I think it’s really important that the public have complete faith in the actions we all engage in at the county, and having a fraud and whistleblower notification program is a really great step in that direction,” said Placer County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Jennifer Montgomery.