Flagged Patterns

Six detection methods across 1,000 payment records. Each flag links to the specific payments worth checking first.

A flag means something was statistically unusual, not that fraud occurred.

Patterns flagged

Across six methods

Flagged vendors

Unique vendors

Flagged agencies

With at least one flag

Evidence links

Payment references

All (15)Suspicious Number Patterns(2)Unusually Round Payments(0)One Vendor Getting Most Money(10)Vendors Paid by Many Agencies(0)Unusually Large or Small Payments(3)Payments Possibly Split to Avoid Oversight(0)

Suspicious Number Patterns

Technical name: Benford's Law

In natural financial data, leading digits follow a predictable logarithmic distribution (~30% start with 1, ~17% with 2, etc.). Significant deviation can indicate fabricated or manipulated figures.

Showing 2 flags for Suspicious Number Patterns

HIGH

Payment amounts deviate from Benford's Law

Leading digit distribution across 1,000 payments shows statistically significant deviation (χ²=708.2). Largest deviations: digit 1: +17.9%, digit 9: +9.6%, digit 8: +8.8%.

In plain English: The dollar amounts don't follow the natural number patterns you'd expect in real invoices.

Assess as lead

Payments To Inspect First

Linked from this flag

WASH METRO AREA TRANSIT A

WMATA • Oct 26, 2020

WIRE TRANSFER

$169.0M

Open record

WASH METRO AREA TRANSIT AUTH

WMATA • Nov 21, 2019

WIRE TRANSFER

$150.2M

Open record

THE NORTHERN TRUST COMPANY

FD0 • Oct 11, 2016

WIRE TRANSFER

$145.6M

Open record

WASH METRO AREA TRANSIT A

WMATA • Oct 27, 2021

WIRE TRANSFER

$127.7M

Open record

HIGHDepartment of Health Care Finance

Department of Health Care Finance: payment amounts deviate from Benford's Law

346 payments from Department of Health Care Finance show significant leading-digit deviation (χ²=116.6).

In plain English: The dollar amounts don't follow the natural number patterns you'd expect in real invoices.

Assess as lead

Payments To Inspect First

Linked from this flag

AMERIHEALTH DISTRICT OF COLUMB

DHCF • Sep 1, 2022

DIRECT DEPOSIT - CCD - MEDICAID PAYMENT

$62.3M

Open record

DC TREASURER

DHCF • Sep 9, 2021

DIRECT DEPOSIT - CCD - MEDICAID PAYMENT

$18.7M

Open record

AMERIGROUP DISTRICT OF CO

DHCF • Nov 2, 2017

FIRST CLASS MAIL

$18.5M

Open record

AMERIGROUP

DHCF • Jan 4, 2018

DIRECT DEPOSIT - CTX

$18.3M

Open record