Travel card caution
Volume 11, No. 48, July 27, 2006
By Cpl Mike McSweeney

DEFENCE Travel Card (DTC) users who think they won’t get caught abusing the system should be warned.

Deputy Provost Marshal-Army Maj Nick Rose said the system was under constant surveillance for dubious transactions.

“The nature of DTC fraud is such that all the transactions are recorded and available for scrutiny to investigators at any stage,” Maj Rose said.

“Therefore it’s not a matter of if they will get caught but when.”

He said Army Military Police, which oversees fraud investigations of less than $20,000, received very few reports of DTC fraud compared with the amount of travel conducted by personnel.

He said personnel would be liable for any inappropriate costs incurred on the DTC, with the current average amount of each alleged fraud offence being $3200.

“Most offenders use DTC in a haphazard fashion, suggesting it is a crime of opportunity,” he said. “The inherent convenience of the DTC is accompanied by a level of risk of inappropriate use, which is similar to other finance cards.”

Maj Rose said some members with prior financial problems indicated they found unrestricted access to the card a problem.

“Members should consider notifying the chain of command if they believe they have personal circumstances that may warrant closer supervision, prior to obtaining a DTC,” he said.

The DTC is used to pay for business travel expenses, including accommodation, meals, incidentals and travel.

All users should have their travel budget approved by someone with the appropriate authority and verify the transactions upon return using the Card Management System. ATMs can be used to withdraw meal and incidental allowances, or if suppliers do not accept the DTC, although receipts should be retained where possible.

“The easiest way to avoid dilemmas late at night is to not carry the card for personal social events or during other high risk-situations,” Maj Rose said.
Soldiers who accidentally overdraw on the card should report the incident to their immediate supervisor.

“In some cases a Military Police Special Investigation Branch investigation may still need to be conducted to clear the member and each case will be determined on its merits,” Maj Rose said. “Army actively pursues all alleged offences and members convicted of fraud face serious financial and personal sanctions, including but not limited to jail, fines and termination from the Army."