The Office of Investigations is tasked with performing investigations regarding abuses involving  GSA programs and employees. These investigations may be criminal, civil and/or administrative in nature. Frequently they involve complex "white collar" criminal schemes involving fraud. They can also involve threats, thefts, forgeries, extortion, embezzlements, or assaults. 

These investigations are often worked in conjunction with other agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI), Defense Criminal Investigative Service, other Office of Inspectors General, and military criminal investigative organizations.  Such task forces are utilized to maximize effort and return while minimizing expense. Enforcement activities can include professional interviews to undercover operations, surveillances and multi-day searches and seizures. 

Investigations may be the result of a complaint received by the FraudNet Hotline, a referral by the Office of Audits, or initiated by our agents through confidential sources of information.  Additionally, proactive investigations are developed by our regional offices, based upon local needs and resources.  Such initiatives have resulted in operations involving the Secret Service,  FBI and other Office of Inspectors General.  Examples include credit card fraud, diversion of excess government property, and telecommunications fraud.

The Office of Investigations, in conjunction with the Office of Audits, also dedicates time and effort to fraud prevention and detection.  To this end we meet with agency representatives to educate them regarding fraud, waste and abuse. 

The Office of Investigations maintains zonal offices and resident field investigations offices around the United States as follows:

Zone 2
Headquarters: New York
Resident Office: Boston
States covered: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Zone 5
Headquarters: Chicago
Resident Field Investigations Offices: Kansas City, Cleveland
States covered: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming 

Zone 7
Headquarters: Fort Worth
Resident Office: Atlanta, GA
States covered:  Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas

Zone 9
Headquarters: San Francisco
Resident Field Investigations Office: Auburn, WA
States covered: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii and Guam

Zone W
Headquarters: Washington, DC
Resident Office:  Philadelphia
States covered: Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia, Delaware and Pennsylvania