Auditor of State Dave Yost speaks to attendees at the first Fraud Prevention and Detection Training.

More than 70 public officials and employees were trained yesterday on how to prevent fraud or detect it as soon as possible as part of a series of seminars provided by State Auditor Dave Yost’s office.

Tuesday’s program, held in Perrysburg, was the first of seven seminars being held across the state. The next session will be held in Marietta on Thursday and is expected to draw as many people if not more.

“The turnout was fantastic, a clear sign that our local government officials are as serious as I am at rooting out fraud,” Yost said. Those who attended the initial training program included local fiscal officers, county officials, school board members, mayors, council members and others.

The two-hour training sessions feature presentations by members of the auditor’s Public Integrity Assurance Team who focus on spotting the warning signs of fraud, the different schemes people use to defraud – including payroll padding and check tampering – and how to use the best practices and controls to prevent fraud from occurring. The interactive program is designed to give local government officials the tools and knowledge to avoid falling victim to fraud.

“We get complaints almost every week from people alleging fraud in Ohio’s governments,” Yost said, explaining why he initiated the training program. “Too often, fraud is discovered and reported after the damage is done. We need to help our good-government watchdogs sniff out fraud early, and this training should help them.”

Yost insisted the training be held throughout the state to make it easy for local government officials to attend, and that there not be a charge to eliminate any economic obstacles for cash-strapped communities.

Yost said he wants to help local officials put in place the proper controls to protect their offices and the tax dollars entrusted to them. 

Each of the remaining scheduled training sessions is eligible for two hours of Fiscal Integrity Act continuing education and CLE credit.

The remaining seminars include:

• Thursday, April 7: Marietta (2:30 - 4:30 p.m.)
• Tuesday, April 12: Canfield (5 - 7 p.m.)
• Wednesday, April 13: Parma (2 - 4 p.m.)
• Tuesday, April 19: Wyoming (2:30 - 4:30 p.m.)
• Wednesday, April 20: Piqua (5 - 7 p.m.)
• Wednesday, April 27: Powell (5 - 7 p.m.)

Visit www.ohioauditor.gov/trainings/registration or call 614-466-2813 to register for the training nearest you.

The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,800 state and local government agencies.  Under the direction of Auditor Dave Yost, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies and promotes transparency in government.

Contact:
Ben Marrison
Director of Communications
614-644-1111