Search Results for: Fraud
108 results found
Shuttle Processing Contract Subcontracting – Circumstances Indicating Procurement Fraud
December 20, 1996
NASA Investigators Expose a Chinese National Phishing for Defense Software
For years, NASA employees and research collaborators thought they were simply sharing software with colleagues. Instead, they were emailing sensitive defense technology to a Chinese national who was impersonating U.S. engineers. Thanks to the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) and federal partners, this long-running ruse was revealed—halting further spread of protected information to foreign […]
Dauphin County Man Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Scheme
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ardavan Alamoutinia, 33, of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez on one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, 10 counts of mail fraud, one count of theft of government money, and one count of […]
School Consultant Pleads Guilty to Kickback Conspiracy Connected to Covid-Era Programs Designed to Help Schoolchildren Access the Internet
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, school consultant Richard Bernstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with his agreement with others to steer federal funds to school vendors in exchange for a share of the vendors’ profits. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Ramon E. Reyes, […]
Report to Congress Highlights Oversight Activities and Achievements
Today, the NASA Office of Inspector General (OlG) released its Semiannual Report to Congress, highlighting its accomplishments and activities between April 1 and September 30, 2025. By conducting thorough audits and investigations, the OIG helps NASA achieve maximum potential with minimum waste. During this reporting period, the Office of Audits issued 8 reports and made […]
Investigations Impact Areas
The Office of Investigations (OI) spearheads cases where employees, grantees, contractors, or others threaten NASA’s mission. To hold wrongdoers accountable, OI identifies crime indicators and offers recommendations to Agency leadership. Investigators address fraud, waste, and abuse across five key areas: Cyber Crimes Cybercriminals can leverage critical security flaws to access sensitive government data and endanger […]
NASA Cybercrime Sleuths Aid Nation-Wide Investigation to Expose North Korean Ransomware Scheme
In late 2021, news of a critical security flaw in a common piece of computer code swept the globe. This software vulnerability, known as Log4Shell, gave hackers easy access to numerous applications and online services. Reports of cyber espionage surged as bad actors, including foreign governments, exploited Log4Shell to take control of computer networks, leak […]
NASA Office of Inspector General: Excellence Through Oversight
Rigorous oversight launches remarkable missions. We help NASA operate efficiently and effectively—here on Earth and beyond. We detect and prevent fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement while providing timely insights to Agency leadership and Congress. Explore our work and the talented teams that power it, from our investigators, auditors, and data analysts to our management specialists […]
Safeguarding NASA’s Assets
The Office of Investigations pursues allegations of cybercrime, fraud, waste, abuse, and misconduct related to NASA’s programs, personnel, and resources.
Best of 2024
Top Audit Reports As we approach 2025, the NASA Office of Inspector General is counting down the three most high-profile audits that sparked interest and ignited curiosity in 2024. #3: Audit of the Mars Sample Return Program Coming in at number three is our assessment of the Mars Sample Return Program. We recommended that, before […]