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Charge Card Abuse? Who Cares?

The public, other Gov't employees, and I care !

Personnel Security Officer
DOI - Bureau of Reclamation
Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:28 AM

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Other than verified accidental mistakes ... stiffer penalties (reinforced with training to the card holder) should be imposed.

Obvious intentional misuse should impose the following:

A first single minor offense should include a 1 - 3 day suspension and a salary garnishment of the employee's pay to recover the $ value of the misuse.

A first single major offense should include a 15 day suspension and a salary garnishment of the employee's pay to recover the $ value of the misuse plus the cost of investigating the matter.

Any second separate offense (singular or multiple) should result in a termination and debarment from Federal employment (including that as a contractor) and a reduction in the individual's separation monetary entitlement (accrued leave value, retirement contributions, or other similar aspect) equal to $ value of the misuses plus the cost of investigating the matter.

Matters like these cause long lasting bad impression in the minds of ... ?

Re: The public, other Gov't employees, and I care !

Dod Civilian
Dod, Air Force Resreve
Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:07 AM
Is there a double standard? I know military people that have been punished under UCMJ for this including lost rank and removal from service. I can understand a mistake. But, I have been a travel card holder for appox. ten years and I have never used the card for anything other than official bussiness. The purpose of the card is to simplify the process for people on gov travel not provide a means for individuals to make purchases for personal reasons. The penalties should be fair and equally imposed on all card holders, no exceptions for branch of service, civil service, rank, duty position etc...

Use of Government Credit Cards

Adjudication Officer
DHS/CIS
Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:29 AM

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I do not care...whether it is a Travel Card or the GSA Purchase card....IT IS A GOVERNMENT CREDIT CARD for OFFICIAL USE only. Don't tell me the holder of this card is not aware of that, because I am not buying that either.
At one time, I held a government purchase card and I can assure you that everytime I used it, the managing official knew about it, the charge was properly funded and authorized and the goods/services received as ordered. At no time did I even think about using that card for a personal purchase. This is absurd and as far as I am concerned, such an offense should be grounds for immediate dismissal.
When I changed positions, I turned the card in as I was suppose to. Nothing hard about that!
As to the travel card, I do not even think about it unless I am on official travel for the government. I do not charge anything on it but items related to the travel. Period. The problem is that the rules are not enforced! And that should be punishable as well!!

Diff Between Purchase Cards and Travel Cards

ER Spec pretending to be an accountant
DoD
Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:34 AM

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This comment concerns travel cards. Two issues (1) Misuse; (2) Delinquency in paying legitimate charges.

What is the harm to the govt when an employee charges non-travel, unauthorized personal items to the card so long as the employee pays it back in a timely manner? In fact, it is to the benefit to the govt and the credit card company. To the govt--better bargaining power with the credit card co.---To the credit card company--more profit.

Delinquency is a separate matter but the card company still makes out when it charges 29 bones a month after 90 days delinquency. The only cost to the agency is that it has to keep track of delinquencies so it can report to whoever wants to know.

Re: Diff Between Purchase Cards and Travel Cards

HR (labor)
USAF
Fri Apr 11, 2008 3:25 PM
Clarify please? If you use a gov't "purchase" card to acquire goods an services for personal use, never intending to pay for them yourself and trick ole inattentive Uncle Sugar's bookkeeper into paying for them, that's a crime and should be dealt with severely.

But if you are forced by Uncle Sugar to use a personal credit "travel" card issued to you personally by a commercial bank so both Uncle Sugar and the commercial bank can make money everytime you are required to use it; AND you pay the bill each month; And you are reimbursed only for expenses incurred on and for official business, why should anyone give a rip if you also purchase beer and gas with it?

Uncle Sugar and the commercial banks started issuing these cards to make money and for their own convenience. If a few bad credit risks also happen to be federal employees that don't pay their bills, it serves Uncle Sugar and the commercial banks right if they loose money on their scheme.

Credit Card Abuse

Emergency Management Specialist
DOE
Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:35 AM

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As a 28 year Federal employee I have witnessed some of the abuse. Most card holders, like myself, would never consider charging anything item on our cards that is not an legal, authorized expenditure. I am realistic, there will always be people who will try (and sometimes succeed) to make personal charges on these cards. They consider it their licence to steal. Usually, they are caught and action is taken against them. A simple solution is for agencies to closely review all charges and question any suspicious charges, like the designer suits. If an explaination is not believable then the agency should take whatever steps necessary to recover the funds from fraudulent purchases and take action against the personnel making the charges. There are more honest card holders than dishonest card holders, unfortunately we are punished for the few.

Charge Card Abuse? Who Cares?

Editor
DoD
Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:36 AM

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I've been reading several articles on this subject lately, and I feel like I'm (alone) in the Twilight Zone or something! I care! I take my responsibility as a government credit cardholder very seriously. I suppose I could ignore threats of being audited (after all, we haven't had one since I've been a cardholder), but what about personal integrity and honesty? Is the world at large becoming devoid of these virtues? I don't hold myself up as some kind of hero or anything - it's just that it's been instilled in me that misusing ANYONE else's money is wrong and then there is the fear of getting caught if I ever was tempted to cheat the Government. I argued in another forum on this subject that our agency's cardholders are blocked even from using vendors like Walmart - I don't understand why companies like dating services can't be automatically blocked! But I guess people determined to break the law will find a way. Maybe the first rule should be screening potential cardholders!

Ethics and Charge Cards

Asset Manager
GSA
Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:36 AM

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I'm a Baby Boomer - worked for Government, City, County, State and Federal for a total of 40+years, 27 with the Feds. The real issue with Credit and Purchase Card abuse is ETHICS. In the last 8-10 years, the Feds have promoted and hired young, fresh out of college people and put them on the fast track to mid-level management. An alarming percentage of these younger employees are devoid of Ethics and Standards in their personal character. They figure the Government "owes" it to them. Where do you supposed they learned that? Liberal Colleges or at home. It defies understanding -- When GAO sends their reports to Agency officials - it would be good to investigate the ethics of those that receive the reports.
Additionally - in case no one noticed Nepotism is rampant in the government.

Re: Ethics and Charge Cards

Retired DOD
USAF
Sun Aug 17, 2008 10:40 PM
I have been retired 9 years. I was a Division Chief in charge of professional engineers and logistics specialists when they started
passing out these cards. I objected strongly to handing out credit cards to folks that were personally poor credit risks. I knew that we would spend the rest of our careers dealing with these bums. Their unions would fight us every time we tried to discipline them. I set up internal controls on the cards used for supplies and had little problem. There is no excuse for managers letting this abuse continue. The travel cards are harder. Take them away when they misuse them --then they claim they cant travel --cant do their job!
Thankfully I don't have baby sit these irresponsible"adults" anymore.

Society has taught the young folks that you don't have to be responsible for your actions. Just like the mortgage mess.

No excuses--hold them accountable

Directorate Secretary
NGB
Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:40 AM

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I just don't understand how this happens! Where I work, someone monitors the transactions, and monthly the questionable information is passed on to the directors for action as necessary. With all the stringent rules in place, I think these employees should be fired. It boils down to ethics, or lack thereof. People need to be held accountable for their actions. Those folks who abused the system make it look bad for those of us who do the right and ethical thing. You should always do the right things even when no one is looking!!

Total Comments: 46
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