United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Accounting and Information Management Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-04-16 monographic deposited born digital 26 p. GA 1.13:AIMD-96-59 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-AIMD-96-59 P0b002ee1803a1622 f:ai96059 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-AIMD-96-59 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-AIMD-96-59 AIMD-96-59 Telecommunication equipment Cost control Internal controls Credit sales Fraud Federal employees Program abuses Correctional facilities Telephone Federal Telecommunications System 2000 FTS 2000 District of Columbia FTS 2000 Federal Calling Cards Letter Report AIMD

Because of a lack of adequate controls over telephone use, the Agriculture Department (USDA), which spends about $50 million annually on commercial telecommunications services, is putting itself at risk for fraud and abuse. GAO reviewed bills for all collect calls over a four-month period at USDA offices in the Washington, D.C., area and found that USDA had accepted more than 600 inappropriate collect calls--about half of all collect calls accepted and paid for by the agency during this time--from prisoners. USDA has been aware of collect-calling abuse since 1994 but has not taken adequate steps to stop it. USDA does not generally review telephone bills. As a result, the agency cannot be certain whether international long-distance calls originating from its Washington, D.C., offices--which total tens of thousands of dollars each month--are authorized. GAO found several instances in which persons had placed unauthorized calls to sex and party lines abroad. Moreover, because of weaknesses in a USDA contractor's voice mail equipment, hackers were able to break into USDA's telephone system and make $40,000 to $50,000 worth of international long-distance calls. USDA eventually paid the bill, even though the contractor admitted responsibility. USDA has tried to correct some of its telecommunications management weaknesses, including automating its current paper-based billing system so that telephone bills can be verified cost effectively. However, USDA has yet to respond in writing to GAO's recommendations on resolving these problems. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-AIMD-96-59/html/GAOREPORTS-AIMD-96-59.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-AIMD-96-59/pdf/GAOREPORTS-AIMD-96-59.pdf GAO/AIMD-96-59 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-AIMD-96-59 Letter Report GAO/AIMD-96-59; USDA Telecommunications: More Effort Needed to Address Telephone Abuse and Fraud; Telecommunication equipment Cost control Internal controls Credit sales Fraud Federal employees Program abuses Correctional facilities Telephone Federal Telecommunications System 2000 FTS 2000 District of Columbia FTS 2000 Federal Calling Cards Title 31 Section 1348 Title 31 Section 720 31 U.S.C. 1348 31 U.S.C. 720 Title 41 Part 201.6 41 CFR Part 201.6