About USAC

Program Compliance - Whistleblower Hotline

Assuring effective stewardship of the Universal Service Fund by guarding against misuse or waste of funds is a priority shared by USAC, the FCC, Congress, program participants, contributors to the fund, and the general public. To that end, USAC's Whistleblower Hotlines allow interested parties to alert USAC anonymously, if desired, to instances where program funds are being misapplied or where program rule violations may exist.

If you are aware of potential waste, fraud, or abuse of USF program funds, USAC encourages you to report it! Because USAC treats each call to a Whistleblower Hotline as a serious and urgent matter requiring immediate attention, we caution you to use the hotline procedure described below ONLY to report potential instances of waste, fraud, or abuse of support program funds and rules.

  • What kinds of things should you report? Instances of USF support being misapplied, mismanaged, or violations of law, rules, or regulations by support program participants or contributors to the fund.
  • Do I have to identify myself? No. You can make an anonymous complaint if you wish.
  • What to expect when you call. If you believe there is a misuse of funds or a violation of rules:
    • Place a call to one of the hotline numbers below and tell the operator that you want to report a potential program rule violation.
    • You will be connected to specially trained staff who will ask you a series of questions in order to obtain as much information about the situation as possible, so any investigation can proceed efficiently.
    • If you choose to remain anonymous, you may do so. If you opt to identify yourself so that USAC can contact you for additional information, we will make every effort to maintain your confidentiality as the investigation proceeds if you requested confidentiality.
    • If our investigation determines a program rule violation has occurred, USAC will take immediate corrective steps, including but not limited to, adjusting or rescinding funding commitments and recovering program funds.
    • Depending on the nature of the rule violation or whether there is evidence suggesting fraud may have occurred, other steps may be taken such as referral of matters to investigatory and enforcement authorities.
Hotline Numbers for the Support Programs
High Cost:    (202) 776-0200
Low Income: (202) 776-0200
Rural Health Care: (800) 229-5476
Schools and Libraries: (888) 203-8100
Other Hotline Numbers
Billing, Collections, and Disbursements: (888) 641-8722

 


Last modified on 2/19/2008