A Health Canada worker fraudulently charged almost $20,000 worth of personal items to government credit cards, including visits to a spa, meals at restaurants, clothing and cash advances.
An internal report on the fraud also says the worker twice collected charitable donations from trusting co-workers, but kept all the money.
Auditors concluded the worker should not have been given the credit cards in the first place, partly because there was evidence of personal financial stress.
Even after being explicitly warned against personal use, the employee continued to rack up charges in 60 separate transactions, suggesting lax management controls and follow-up.
In the end, Health Canada had to pay the outstanding balances of $11,210 on the cards and dock the worker's pay in instalments, though there was no payback of the stolen donations whose value was not determined. The person was later fired.
A report on the case, obtained by CBC News under the Access to Information Act, provides a rare glimpse into the details of credit-card fraud by public servants, which happened at least 76 times across government in 2014-2015.
mo
Fraud: government credit card used for spas, restaurants - Politics - CBC News
An internal report on the fraud also says the worker twice collected charitable donations from trusting co-workers, but kept all the money.
Auditors concluded the worker should not have been given the credit cards in the first place, partly because there was evidence of personal financial stress.
Even after being explicitly warned against personal use, the employee continued to rack up charges in 60 separate transactions, suggesting lax management controls and follow-up.
In the end, Health Canada had to pay the outstanding balances of $11,210 on the cards and dock the worker's pay in instalments, though there was no payback of the stolen donations whose value was not determined. The person was later fired.
A report on the case, obtained by CBC News under the Access to Information Act, provides a rare glimpse into the details of credit-card fraud by public servants, which happened at least 76 times across government in 2014-2015.
mo
Fraud: government credit card used for spas, restaurants - Politics - CBC News
