Credit Cards Online Information

Government credit cards meant to streamline purchases were used by some Navy personnel to buy personal highway toll tags, auto parts, electronic gadgets and even a dog, congressional investigators reported Tuesday.

The General Accounting Office said the Navy lacks an automated system that would identify potential or actual fraud by holders of "purchase cards" used for goods and services. The improper purchases were submitted to the Navy in monthly credit card statements and approved for payment.

The study was the latest in a series of reports on government credit card abuse. In a separate report obtained Monday, the congressional investigators found that Navy personnel used separate government travel cards to hire prostitutes at brothels, buy jewelry, gamble and attend New York Yankees and Los Angeles Lakers games.

The purchase card report focused on the Navy's vulnerability to fraud and did not attempt to place a value on the improper transactions.

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