The following are FAQs for Investigations.

1.   Who may submit a hotline complaint to the IG?

Anyone may file a hotline complaint.

2.   What issues should you report to the Hotline?

The IG investigates matters involving, but not limited to:

Abuse of Title or Position
Bribes/Kickbacks/Acceptance of Gratuities
Conflicts of Interest
Ethics Violations
False Official Statements/Claims
Fraud
Gifts (Improper receipt of giving)
Improper Referral for Mental Health Evaluations
Mismanagement/Organization Oversight
Misuse of Official Time, Gov't Property, Position and Public Office
Political Activities
Purchase Cared Abuse
Reprisal (Military Whistleblower Protection)
Safety/Public Health (Substantial/Specific)
Time and Attendance
Travel Card Abuse
Travel Fraud (TDY and TAD)
Waste
We reserve the right to decline to investigate any matter brought to our attention. In addition, we may refer the matter to the local command or provide the information to another IG or office to conduct the investigation.

3.   How do you submit a hotline complaint?

If your complaint is under BUPERS cognizance, you may contact us directly via contact information found here. If your complaint is not under our cognizance, then you should contact your local IG or the Naval Inspector General.

4.   Do you have to identify yourself?

No. You may request either confidentiality or anonymity.

If you request confidentiality, we will make every effort to protect your identity from disclose; however, we cannot guarantee confidentiality since disclosure may be required during the investigation or in the course of corrective action.

If you file your complaint anonymously, we will not know who you are. As such, we will not be able to contact you to request additional information or give you the results of the investigation.

5.   Does the IG take telephone complaints?

We generally only take complaint via phone from individuals without access to the internet, such as those incarcerated in a military confinement facility.  If you wish to submit a complaint, we encourage you to submit your complaint and any supporting documentation in writing to our Hotline email or via snail mail. This is the most efficient way to ensure your complaint is reviewed and acted upon in a timely manner.

6.   Is there a time limit to file a complaint?

Generally, complaints should be submitted within one year of learning of the alleged wrong or misconduct.  We routinely consider complaints outside of one year on a case-by-case basis.

7.   What can you expect when you file a hotline complaint?

An investigator will evaluate your complaint and determine the appropriate course of action, which may include investigation, referral to other authorities or the command for a response, or transfer to another IG office.

We will send a confirmation letter to let you know what action was taken on your complaint if you provide your name and address. We are unable to notify anonymous complainants of the results of an investigation unless we have a valid E-mail address.

Don't expect instant action on your request - please be patient.

8.   What does the IG expect from someone who makes a complaint to the hotline?

The IG generally expects you to provide answers to the questions below. Remember, the more information you provide you us, the better we can assist you. Please be prepared to provide supporting evidence or documentation, if available.

Who - Service member's or employee's full name, rank/grade, and duty station that your complaint is about.

What - Specific wrongdoing and why you believe the activity was misconduct, to include the rule, regulation or law you think they violated.

Where - Location where the wrongdoing occurred.

When - Specific dates and times the wrongdoing occurred.

How much - Estimated dollar loss (if applicable)

Why and how - Describe why and how you believe the individual perpetrated the offense (if applicable)

Don't forget to include: What you have done to try to resolve the issue and what you want the IG to do.

9.   Do we guarantee we will conduct an investigation?

No, we do not guarantee each complaint will be fully investigated, but we do guarantee that an preliminary analysis will be conducted for each to determine the appropriate course of action.  Some factors we consider when reviewing contacts to our Hotline include:

     (1)  Timeliness;

     (2) You have not addressed your issue with the local command;

     (3) You have not used an appropriate complaint process for military and civilian employees such as Board for Correction of Naval Records, Equal Opportunity/Equal Employment Opportunity, Administrative Grievance Procedure, etc.;

     (4)  Another investigation of inquiry is being conducted into the matter.

10.   How long does it take to investigate a complaint?

We make every effort to complete investigations within 90 days, but they can take longer depending on the complexity of the case and our current workload.

11.   How do you determine the status of your complaint or obtain a copy of the report?

Contact the IG office where you submitted your complaint. While the investigation is ongoing, we can only tell you whether the case is open.

Once the investigation is closed, we will notify you of the results of our investigation.

If you wish to obtain more information about the case, you may submit a request under the Freedom of Information Act to the IG office that conducted the investigation to obtain a copy of the report.

12.   If you do not agree with the results of the investigation, can you ask for reconsideration?     

Yes.

If you have new information to support your complaint, the case may be reconsidered. If, on the other hand, you are merely unhappy because you do not agree with the outcome, the IG will not conduct another investigation.