Twenty five students answering phones on the third floor of Johnston Hall at Louisiana State U. are the nation’s first line of defense against fraudsters hoping to scam federal aid during disasters.

These students answer calls from the public about alleged fraud, and after following a script and logging the claim in a database, agents from 20 different federal agencies investigate the cases to execute any necessary arrests or prosecution.

“Any fraud scheme at all … to exploit the damages caused by this Gulf Disaster … will not be tolerated whatsoever,” said Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Letten, who is also executive director for the National Center for Disaster Fraud, spoke Tuesday morning during a news conference in NCDF’s Johnston Hall headquarters to announce new efforts to stop fraud related to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster spurred by the April 20 explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig.

The center launched the Gulf Coast Disaster Fraud Hotline on Monday to handle cases related to the spill, and a public campaign to raise awareness and attract whistle blowers is underway.

Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer of the Criminal Division said the NCDF needs the public’s help to know when fraud occurs. Tips may be phoned, emailed or faxed to the center, and whistle blowers may remain anonymous.