Report fraud to the Environment Agency
You can report fraud and irregularities against the Environment Agency.
Applies to England
Fraud is a dishonest and deliberate act which may be a criminal offence. Irregularity is a suspicion of a problem, and errors may be unintentional mistakes or negligence. They all may have a financial consequence. They can be described as acts of:
- theft or misuse of property
- deception, forgery and concealment of material facts
- bribery or corruption
- embezzlement and misappropriation of funds
- conspiracy, collusion and extortion
The Environment Agency takes fraud seriously. We want to prevent, stop and disrupt fraud and error from happening. We investigate all cases of potential fraud and irregularities. We may take disciplinary action and initiate criminal proceedings where necessary.
We will treat all information provided to us in confidence. This will be in accordance with our obligations under data protection legislation.
Do not use the fraud reporting form to report emergencies or environmental incidents that need an immediate or rapid response. Report these to the incident hotline.
What you can report
If you suspect wrongdoing, fraud or irregularity, let us know. This includes:
- theft or misuse of assets and property
- false representation such as lying, hiding information or facts
- procurement, contractual, credit, or payment fraud
- wrongful payroll events, mis-claims and errors in allowances
- misuse of Environment Agency property or services such as commercial vehicles, hire cars, plant and equipment
- cybercrime and identity related fraud
You can also let us know about irregularities, error and mistakes which result in suspicion of wrongdoing or financial loss to the Environment Agency or others.
How to report
You can submit your information of fraud and wrongdoing anonymously. However, it does limit our ability to investigate and provide feedback.
Report your suspicions as soon as possible, no matter how small you feel they may be. When reporting your concern, you must have a reasonable belief that it is true.
If you work for the Environment Agency and there is anything you are not sure about, contact the fraud team to talk about it. You can find information on the Environment Agency intranet.
Information you should provide
If you request anonymity, we may not be able to guarantee it, for example in a criminal case. We will contact you to discuss any likelihood of disclosure of your identity.
When reporting your suspicions, provide the following information:
- your full name and contact details
- a description of the issue - include as much information as you can such as significance or value, names, dates, times, locations, contract details, payments
- whether the issue has been reported before
- whether you have any documentation or other evidence – do not send this yet
We may contact you later if you tell us that you have documentation or evidence you want to supply.
Do not try to gather more supporting evidence without contacting us first. Doing this may put you at risk and could invalidate our own or a police investigation.
Protecting whistleblowers
We recognise that some reporters will be acting as whistleblowers. We will do our best to keep your identity confidential, including from your employer or managers, unless you choose to waive this option.
If you are an employee of the Environment Agency, refer to the whistleblowing guidance on the staff intranet for more information on protections.
If you are unsure whether a disclosure is protected, you should seek independent advice.
Raising fraud concerns with others
You can also inform:
- the police - about a crime
- HMRC - if you have concerns about tax, like money laundering or tax evasion
- Action Fraud - if you suspect fraud