The San Diego City Auditor's Fraud Hotline reached a major milestone Tuesday by receiving its 1,000th call reporting fraud, waste or abuse related to City operations and programs.
"This milestone is proof that the City and its employees are committed to addressing wrongdoing across all functions of the City," City Auditor Eduardo Luna said in a statement.
"The Fraud Hotline team has earned a reputation of trust and effectiveness within the City as illustrated by the sheer volume of calls," Luna said.
Several high profile cases, including a probe into a former mayor, have come from tips to the Fraud Hotline. These tips have also led to multiple successful convictions.
Since the Hotline was created nine years ago, it has offered City employees a method to place anonymous tips to stop fraud, waste and abuse. Through this program, those who bring matters to the Office of the City Auditor are protected by the state Whistleblower Protection Act.
Luna says 33 public Fraud Hotline reports have been issued related to substantiated investigations. The City Auditor has made 89 recommendations related to those reports.
Fraud Hotline activity reports are published and presented to the City Council's Audit Committee each quarter.
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Whistleblowers can call the City's Fraud Hotline at 866-809-3500. A specially-trained operator is available 24 hours, who will confidentially document their concerns and make sure all the important details are included. Reports can be made anonymously.
Additional information and resources are available on the city's website.
