State Auditor Les Merritt has started a television ad campaign this week to raise public awareness of a hotline to report fraud, waste and abuse of state money and property.

Two ads will run on stations across the state through Nov. 11, telling viewers to contact the hotline at 1-800-730-TIPS. Those tips are kept confidential, Dan Kane reports.

Chris Mears, a spokesman for the auditor's office, said that the total cost of producing the ads and buying air time was $150,000, the minimum spending recommended by the state Agency for Public Telecommunications.

Merritt said in a news release that he expects to recoup the ad campaign's cost by receiving tips that uncover fraud and abuse.

"The OSA is the 'taxpayers' watchdog' and our Hotline has proven to be an effective  tool at detecting inefficiency and exposing fraud in State government," Merritt said.

The last time the state auditor's office ran ads promoting the hotline was in 2001, when Ralph Campbell led the office. It used ads that had been first run eight years earlier.

Both the new ads can be viewed here. The site also includes a link to report tips.