NYSTRS Offers Tools for Reporting Fraud

4/8/2026

Issue No. 2026-3

To: Chief School Administrators 
College and University Presidents 
District Contacts 
Employer Secure Area Contacts

NYSTRS is committed to ensuring the integrity of the Retirement System and the benefits it provides to members, retirees and beneficiaries. 

Fraud, waste and abuse hurts the System, its members, retirees, beneficiaries and ultimately the taxpayer. Examples of fraud, waste or abuse previously reported to us or uncovered by audits include: intentional salary spiking during the final average salary period; mischaracterization of non-regular compensation as part of base salary; improper enrollment of consultants as employees; premature enrollment of members to circumvent tier changes; payroll manipulation to evade earnings after retirement limits; submitting altered board minutes and records; and salary giveback schemes intended to inflate earnings. 

If you suspect anyone of defrauding the Retirement System, please report the complaint to NYSTRS. The System is taking a proactive approach to combating this type of activity by providing various tools and methods for those with information to report it. Please do your part and urge your co-workers to do the same. Anyone with knowledge of any wrongdoing may file a report.  

When reporting a potential case of fraud, it is not necessary to identify yourself; complaints may be made anonymously. However, we ask you to describe the nature of the complaint in detail by telling us who is involved, where the activity is taking place, and the general nature of the activity.  

Before submitting a report, we encourage you to review our list or “Reportable Incidents,” included on our Report Fraud webpage, to better understand the types of activity that warrant investigation. To sufficiently investigate an allegation of fraud, waste or abuse, NYSTRS’ Internal Audit staff requests specific details, if available. 

You can report fraud, waste or abuse using one of these methods: 

• Call our Hotline at 800-348-7298, ext. 2846. 
• Email us at [email protected]. 
• Complete a Fraud, Waste or Abuse Reporting Form. This form can be submitted electronically or sent anonymously by U.S. mail to Investigations Unit, P.O. Box 11535, Albany, NY 122110535. Please see the form for further instructions. 

If your complaint goes beyond the scope of NYSTRS, the NYS Education Department, Office of the NYS Comptroller, Office of the NYS Attorney General and NYS Office of the Inspector General also have fraud, waste or abuse reporting mechanisms.