This Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Office of Inspector General (OIG) advisory highlights (1) common fraud schemes and abusive practices committed by landlords, or individuals posing as landlords (impostor landlords), who are seeking to target current or prospective renters, (2) tips to prevent renter-related fraud, and (3) information on how victims should report fraud. We also cite useful guidance issued by our colleagues in the OIG community with significant expertise in housing and rental fraud.
As the digital landscape evolves and malevolent cyber actors continue to proliferate, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and its grantees are increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. Since 2018, LSC and its grantees have been the victims of at least 48 cyberattacks, some of which resulted in monetary losses and compromised data. To mitigate the impact of a cyber incident, we strongly urge grantees to establish a comprehensive Cyber Incident Response Plan (CIRP). By developing and implementing a comprehensive CIRP, grantees can mitigate the impact of security breaches, protect sensitive…
This Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Office of Inspector General (OIG) advisory is intended tohighlight the growing trend of financial fraud committed against the senior citizen population. Seniors are a substantial portion of the United States population and the LSC grantee client base. If affected by the fraud schemes described in this advisory, eligible senior clients may request assistance from your legal aid program. According to the Council on Aging, fraud schemes targeting seniors are costly, widespread, and on the rise. Seniors may become targets because they can be more trusting,…
In a continuing effort to assist Legal Services Corporation (LSC) grantees and subgrantees in detecting and preventing cyberattacks, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for LSC is issuing this Hotline Advisory to notify grantees of two recent Business Email Compromise (BEC) frauds perpetrated against LSC grantees. In this advisory, the OIG provides updates on BEC schemes and emerging BEC threats as well as details on how the two recent direct deposit BEC schemes were perpetrated on LSC grantees. We also offer best practices for detecting and preventing BEC schemes, such as the recent BEC…
OIG updated the LSC OIG Audit Guide and Appendices which include the Compliance Supplement for Audits of LSC Recipients (Appendix A). These documents will be effective for audits of LSC recipient fiscal years ending on or after September 30, 2023. Questions about the LSC OIG Audit Guide or Appendices should be sent to OIG at audits@oig.lsc.gov.
In a continuing effort to assist Legal Services Corporation grantees and subgrantees in preventing cyberattacks, the Office of Inspector General is issuing a Hotline Advisory to notify grantees of a U.S. Government resource and initiative aimed at protecting American businesses and communities from ransomware attacks.
In light of recent bank failures, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Office of Inspector General (OIG) is providing this article, outlining steps to be taken should your grantee funds on deposit exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's (FDIC's) $250,000 deposit insurance limit.BackgroundBased on multiple news outlets, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the 16th-largest U.S. bank with$210 billion in assets, was closed by California regulators on Friday, March 10, 2023, after depositors rushed to withdraw funds over concerns the bank might become insolvent. It is the second largest bank…
In a continuing effort to assist grantees and subgrantees in preventing cyber threats, the Office of Inspector General for the Legal Services Corporation is providing the following guidance to assist grantees in protecting personal data from a cyber-attack.Specifically, the OIG is providing this guidance to help enhance the security of electronically shared personally identifiable information (PII). PII includes information such as name, address, social security number, birth date, bank account and bank routing numbers, and driver's license numbers. Much of this PII is contained in client…
The Office of Inspector General for the Legal Service Corporation (LSC) recently completed a significant investigation involving a diversion of clients for legal services scheme at an LSC grantee. Client diversion occurs when a grantee employee, contractor, or volunteer diverts clients seeking free legal assistance from the grantee to themselves or an associate for personal gain.
On December 16, 2022, a criminal complaint was filed and an arrest warrant was issued for Teresa Trantham, former Chief Administrative Officer, Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (LSEM). The complaint is based on a joint investigation conducted by the Office of Inspector General (OIG), United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the OIG for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC).