Construction Project Fraud

Understanding the Most Common Types of Construction Fraud

The most common types of fraud include embezzlement, theft, bribery, kickbacks, bid-rigging, inflated prices, false billing, and nonpayment of bills. These crimes often involve collaboration between employees, subcontractors, and suppliers.

How to Identify and Combat Bid Rigging

The best way to identify bid rigging is to look at the bids submitted by the contractor. If they all come from one company, that company has likely rigged the bidding process.

You should also reserve the right to reject any bids if you feel unfair competition. Sure, this safeguard might be ignored, but it will provide extra ammunition in the event fraud is discovered on the project – and it might make a bidder think twice if they're participating in a fraudulent scheme!

There are a few red flags to look for when accepting bids. Be sure that it isn't the same contractor consistently winning bids. Or, look out for contractors that bid and never win (due to unusually high requests or questionable proposed terms).

Falsifying Payment Applications and Invoices

The cost of fraud in the construction industry is estimated at $10 billion per year. This includes direct losses and indirect costs like lost productivity and legal fees.

The most common type of fraud in the construction industry is falsifying payment applications and invoices. This accounts for over half of all fraud in the industry, and it can occur at any level of the payment chain. The following are the four most common methods of manipulating payment applications:

• Billing for work that was never performed
• Overbilling
• Claiming more hours worked than were billed
• Under billing

If your company uses an outside accounting firm, ask them to review your records and audit your payments.

Simple Effective Ways to Protect Against Any Type of Construction Fraud

The most common frauds include false bids, inflated pricing, and misrepresenting materials' quality. It’s important to check references and ask for proof of insurance before hiring anyone. If you suspect fraud, report it immediately to the authorities.

Another way to protect against fraud is to hire only reputable subcontractors and suppliers. This will ensure that you don’t end up paying for services never provided. It may seem like a hassle at first, but it’s worth it in the long run.

It is also important to ensure that your company has a fraud prevention program in place. This should include policies and procedures governing employee conduct, training programs for new hires, and regular audits. It’s essential to understand what constitutes fraud, so you know where to look for suspicious activity.

Remember, prevention is always best. The sooner you catch fraud, the easier it is to recover and protect future losses.

Lien Waiver vs. Lien Release What's the Difference?

A lien waiver is a document issued by a contractor before starting work that releases the owner from liability if the contractor fails to complete the project according to contract specifications. The lien waiver protects the contractor against claims made by subcontractors, suppliers, material men, etc. If the contractor does not issue a lien waiver, then all payments made to him will be subject to a lien.

Do You Have a Construction Fraud Case to Report?

Our whistleblower lawyers can represent Construction Project Fraud Whistleblowers, and we offer free consultations for Construction Project Fraud cases and all other types of whistleblower lawsuits. For more information, you can contact The Whistleblower Advocates at (833) 310-3147 for a FREE, confidential consultation.