NYCFRAUD.ORG
LEGAL DECLARATION
NYCFRAUD.ORG is a professional news-gathering medium dedicated to the regular dissemination of news and analysis regarding New York City municipal finance, public contracting, and government accountability. As a news-gathering medium that regularly publishes news to the public, NYCFRAUD.ORG is entitled to the protections of the New York Shield Law (N.Y. Civ. Rights Law § 79-h) for confidential sources and unpublished news-gathering materials.
MISSION
New York City spends over $100 billion per year. The official systems for tracking that spending — Checkbook NYC, the Comptroller's contract database, agency budget submissions — are public record, but they are not designed to be read by ordinary New Yorkers.
NYCFRAUD.ORG exists to close that gap. We cross-reference payment records, FOIL responses, inspection reports, and public contracting data to surface patterns of waste, fraud, and abuse that would otherwise go unnoticed. Every investigation we publish identifies the exact budget line affected, the agency responsible, and the dollar amount at stake.
We refer credible findings to the NYC Department of Investigation, the NYC Comptroller, and the relevant Inspector General offices. We track the status of every referral until it is resolved or publicly closed.
METHODOLOGY
FOIL REQUESTS
We file Freedom of Information Law requests with NYC agencies to obtain underlying records that are not available through public databases.
BUDGET CROSS-REFERENCE
Every case is mapped to the exact NYC budget line — agency code, object class, and object code — using the Mayor's Management Report, OMB budget files, and Checkbook NYC.
INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION
No allegation is published until it has been cross-referenced against at least one primary government source (contract records, payment data, inspection reports, or official referrals).
SOURCE PROTECTION
Tip submissions are received at admin@nycfraud.org. We do not log IP addresses associated with tip submissions. Source identities are never disclosed without written consent.
CONTACT
Tips, FOIL guidance, corrections, and press inquiries: admin@nycfraud.org
Tip submissions are confidential. We do not log IP addresses or metadata associated with tip-related communications.
LEGAL
All original reporting and analysis published on NYCFRAUD.ORG is protected under the First Amendment. Fair use of government records, public documents, and limited excerpts from third-party reporting is made pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 107 (Fair Use) for purposes of news reporting, criticism, and public interest analysis.
NYCFRAUD.ORG is not affiliated with any government agency, political party, candidate, or campaign. All findings are independently produced.