Northern Illinois University officials are investigating reports of an alleged secret bank account channeling thousands of dollars to university employees.

NIU employees working at a campus physical plant allegedly sold scrap metal to a local company which would write checks to an account for university employees known as the "coffee fund."

Electronic records show checks from the DeKalb Iron and Metal Company to the fund have totaled more than $13,000 since 2005. The single biggest payout in the past five years was $778 for 5,560 pounds of galvanized clips that were delivered in March.

School officials say they have no record of such a fund. NIU spokeswoman Kathryn Buettner says they'll open an investigation.