Rebecca Shea PhD

Rebecca Shea is a Director in GAO’s Forensic Audit and Investigative Service (FAIS) team, where she leads audits to detect fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. She developed GAO’s Antifraud Resource and pioneered the first estimate of fraud in federal operations. Rebecca’s work leverages data analytics and GAO’s Fraud Risk Framework to assess agency efforts. Her recent testimonies addressed COVID-19 fraud, strategies for improving federal fraud response, and risks linked to obscured FAA aircraft ownership. With 27 years at GAO, Rebecca previously served as a methodological expert and earned her doctorate in Sociology from Vanderbilt University.