FAQ: Federal Assistance

Q: Can your office help me obtain a passport?

A: Yes, congressional offices are able to assist constituents who need to apply for and receive a passport quickly. My staff is available to answer any questions you may have concerning the passport application process. For additional information, please see the "Passports" section of my website or reference www.travel.state.gov.

Q: Can your office help me with a problem that involves a state agency?

A: Issues involving state agencies should be handled by state officials. For information about your state representative and state senator, you should reference the North Carolina General Assembly's website at www.ncga.state.nc.us/homePage.pl.

Q: Can your office help me with a legal matter?

A: Members of Congress are limited in their abilities to assist with legal matters. Individuals with such matters are best served by legal representation. The North Carolina Bar Association provides a free lawyer referral service, available by calling 1-800-662-7660.

Q: Where can I access the privacy release form?

A: It is required that you sign a privacy release form for my office to contact a federal agency on your behalf. A printable version of the privacy release form can be found online at www.foxx.house.gov/uploads/Release.pdf.


Links of Interest.

List of all Federal Government Agencies

Federal Toll Free Telephone Directory

Q: How Do You Report Suspected Social Security Fraud Activity?

A: The Fraud Reporting Form for Programmatic Fraud is available so that you may report the fraud, waste, or abuse of SSA Programs such as Retirement, Survivors, Disability and Supplemental Security Income via the Internet. Before you complete the Fraud Reporting Form, please review our Guidelines for Reporting Fraud. You may also want to review our Frequently Asked Questions before completing the on-line form.

How Do I Contact the Fraud Hotline?

Individuals have a variety of ways to report fraud to us. Individuals can contact us by:

Internet:	Fraud Reporting Form
U.S. Mail:	Social Security Fraud Hotline P.O. Box 17768 Baltimore, Maryland 21235
Fax:	410-597-0118
Telephone:	1-800-269-0271 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST
TTY:	1-866-501-2101 for the deaf or hard of hearing.

What is the Fraud Hotline?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Fraud Hotline provides an avenue for individuals to report fraud, waste, and abuse within the SSA’s programs and operations. We handle allegations regarding violations of law or regulations affecting SSA programs and operations.

What Should You Report to the Fraud Hotline?

There are a variety of situations that may be considered fraud in our SSA programs. Some examples are:

• Receives Social Security Benefits for a Child Not under their care.
• Continues to Receive and Use Benefits Belonging to a Deceased Person.
• Conceals their Marriage or Assets from SSA While Receiving Disability Benefits.
• Resides Overseas and is Receiving Disability Benefits.

Below are several examples of potential violations that affect Social Security programs or operations. You can click on each topic below to learn more.

What Do I Need to Know When Contacting the Hotline?

The information you provide to us is very important and we encourage you to provide details about your complaint. To act on your allegation, we need you to provide as much identifying information as possible regarding the suspect, victim, and the details of what occurred. The more you can tell us, the better chance we have of determining whether a crime has been committed. Your information should include the following:

• Who committed the Fraud? (Include Suspect Name, SSN, Date of Birth, Address, and Telephone Number)
• Who the Victims are? (Include Victim Name, SSN, Date of Birth, Address, andTelephone Number)
• What exactly did the suspect do?
• Where did the fraud take place?
• When did it happen?
• How was the Fraud committed?
• Do you know why the person committed the fraud?
• Who else has knowledge of the potential violation?

May I Remain Anonymous?

Yes. Please keep in mind that, if you choose to remain anonymous, our inability to contact you may limit our ability to conduct a complete investigation.

Will My Identity Remain Confidential?

In some instances, informants may believe that the disclosure of their identities may create problems or place them in danger. We will protect the identity of complainants to the maximum extent allowed by law and only release your identity to those officials who have a need to know. Specifically, Section 7(b) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 precludes the IG from disclosing the identity of a Social Security employee who reports an allegation or provides information, without the employee's consent, unless the IG determines that disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the investigation. Non-SSA employees who report allegations may also request confidentiality.

What Can I Expect if I Make A Report to the Hotline?

We are very interested in the information you have regarding fraud in SSA programs. If you send us your complaint by US mail or fax, we will send you an acknowledgement letter if you have provided us with your mailing address. If you send us an allegation by email, an acknowledgement will be sent automatically to the email address you provide to us on your complaint. However, we cannot provide information regarding what action we have taken on any allegation reported to our office. Federal regulations prohibit the disclosure of information contained in law enforcement records even to the individual making the allegation. Unless you are contacted directly by one of our investigators, there will be no further communication from our office. Under no circumstances will we provide you with the "status" of action taken on the allegation.

If you are an SSA employee, SSA may not take action against you solely because of your submission of an allegation to the SSA OIG hotline. Federal laws protect employees from reprisals by their employers for "blowing the whistle" on illegal activity.

Q: How Do You Report Suspected Medicare Fraud Activity?

A: You, as the Medicare beneficiary, are the most important link in finding Medicare fraud. You know better than anyone what healthcare services you have received. Review your Medicare Summary Notice when you receive it, and make sure you understand all of the items listed.

If you don’t remember a procedure that is listed, you should first call your physician, provider, or supplier that is listed on the Medicare Summary Notice. Many times a simple mistake has been made and can be corrected by your physician, provider, or supplier’s office when you call.

If your physician, provider, or supplier’s office does not help you with the questions or concerns about items listed on your Medicare Summary Notice and you still suspect Medicare fraud or if you cannot call them, you should call or write the Medicare company that paid the claim. The name, address, and telephone number are on the Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) you receive, which shows what Medicare paid.

Before contacting the Medicare claims processing company, carefully review the facts as you know them and as shown on the Medicare Summary Notice. Write down:

• The provider's name and any identifying number you may have.
• The item or service you are questioning.
• The date on which the item or service was supposedly furnished.
• The amount approved and paid by Medicare.
• The date of the Medicare Summary Notice.
• The name and Medicare number of the person who supposedly received the item or service.
• The reason you believe Medicare should not have paid.
• Any other information you may have showing that the claim for the item or service should not have been paid by Medicare.

If you plan to write rather than call, clearly state at the beginning of your letter that you are filing a fraud complaint. This will help to ensure that your complaint is forwarded to the fraud unit.

Office of Inspector General Hotline

To further assist you, the Office of the Inspector General maintains a hotline, which offers a confidential means for reporting vital information. The Hotline can be contacted:

Telephone:	1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477)
U.S. Mail:	Office of the Inspector General HHS TIPS Hotline P.O. Box 23489, Washington, DC 20026
Fax:	1-800-223-2164 (no more than 10  pages please)
Email:	HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov

If you are attempting to report specific information proving Medicare fraud, please provide as much identifying information as possible regarding your concern. Such information should include subject's name, address and phone number etc. Details regarding the allegation should include the basics of who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Please note that it is current Hotline policy not to respond directly to written communications.

Q: How Do You Report Suspected Tax Fraud Activity?

A: Although not all inclusive, listed below are some of the criminal activities in violations of the tax law:

• Deliberately underreporting or omitting income,
• Overstating the amount of deductions
• Keeping two sets of books
• Making false entries in books and records
• Claiming personal expenses as business expenses
• Claiming false deductions
• Hiding or transferring assets or income

If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with the tax laws, you may report this activity by completing Form 3949-A. You may fill out Form 3949-A online, print it and mail it to:

Internal Revenue Service
Fresno, CA 93888

If you do not wish to use Form 3949-A, you may send a letter to the address above. Please include the following information, if available:

• Name and address of the person you are reporting
• The taxpayer identification number (social security number for an individual or employer identification number for a business)
• A brief description of the alleged violation, including how you became aware of or obtained the information
• The years involved
• The estimated dollar amount of any unreported income
• Your name, address and daytime telephone number

Although you are not required to identify yourself, it is helpful to do so. Your identity can be kept confidential. You may also be entitled to a reward.

Frequently Asked Questions - 1.13 IRS Procedures: Reporting Fraud

How to Report Abusive Tax Promotions and/or Promoters?

Complete the referral form which documents the information necessary to report an abusive tax avoidance scheme. The form can be mailed or faxed to the IRS address and fax number on the form.

How to Report Abusive CPAs, Attorneys or Enrolled Agents?

Report suspicious actions by tax professionals to the email address of the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility.