Report Suspected Fraud or Unlawful Use of Public Funds or Property

Guide for Funding Recipients or Subrecipients

Funding recipients or subrecipients, including but not limited to grantees, subgrantees, vendors/suppliers, and contractors who receive funding from or through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (“DEED”), have an obligation to report suspected fraud or unlawful use of public funds or property. DEED needs everyone’s help to ensure that we are using the funds, to which we have been entrusted, to serve the people of the State of Minnesota in an efficient, effective, and ethical manner.

Purpose of this guide
- Raise awareness of fraud prevention, detection, and reporting.
- Safeguard public funds, state property, and other resources.
- Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and policies.
- Ensure compliance with reporting requirements.

Reporting Responsibilities

Internal Reporting to DEED’s Internal Audit and Analytics
Funding recipients or subrecipients who receive state and/or federal funding from or through DEED and employees are encouraged to report suspected fraud or unlawful use of public funds or property to DEED's Internal Audit and Analytics (IAA) team via email at: Internal.Audit.and.Analytics.DEED@state.mn.us. This reporting should occur within two business days of learning of the suspected fraud or unlawful use of public funds or property. When reporting, the following information should be included to the best of the reporters' ability:
1. What happened?
2. Who was affected?
3. Who was involved?
4. When did the event occur?
5. Where did the event occur?
6. What was the dollar amount involved?
7. How and when did you find out what happened?
8. Your name, email address and phone number for follow up questions.
External Reporting

Funding recipients or subrecipients may also choose to report directly to the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA), the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's (BCA) new Financial Crime and Fraud section, as well as the applicable Office of the Inspector General (OIG) when it involves federal grant programs. In this situation, funding recipients or subrecipients should also notify DEED's IAA of their intent to report directly to external agencies.

DEED's IAA is responsible for investigating allegations of suspected fraud or unlawful use of public funds or property and reporting to the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA), Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's (BCA) new Financial Crime and Fraud section and refer suspected fraud cases to Minnesota Department of Revenue (DOR) for tax fraud investigation. IAA will also report to the applicable Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for federal grants, and/or other appropriate individuals/entities as permitted by law.
Contacts