(a) At the request of an official designated in or pursuant to §1261.402, the Office of the Inspector General will, where practicable, conduct such investigations as may assist in the collection, compromise, or referral of claims of the United States, including investigations to determine the location and financial resources of the debtors.

(b) Any claim which, in the opinion of an official designated in or pursuant to §1261.402 or §1261.403, may indicate fraud, presentation of a false claim, or misrepresentation, on the part of the debtor or any other party having an interest in the claim, shall be referred by the designated official to the Inspector General (IG), NASA Headquarters, or to the nearest office of the NASA IG. After an investigation as may be appropriate, the IG shall:

(1) Notice the official, from whom the claim was received, of the findings and refer the claim to the Department of Justice in accordance with the provisions of 4 CFR 101.3; or

(2) If it were found that there is no such indication of fraud, the presentation of a false claim, or misrepresentation, return the claim to the official from whom it was received.