Reporting Fraud

The department's Finance Division accepts reports of possible fraud by members of the public in relation to the department's schemes.

Reports are accepted by emailing the below email address. You can also contact us by phone or in writing.

All reports are dealt with in confidence.

For practical purposes fraud may be defined as the use of deception to obtain an advantage or attempt to obtain an advantage, avoid an obligation or cause loss to another party.

The term “fraud” is used to describe such acts of dishonesty as deception, bribery, forgery, extortion, corruption, theft, conspiracy, embezzlement, misappropriation, false representation, concealment of material facts, false pretence, false accounting and collusion in the foregoing.

It is not possible to give an exhaustive listing of the activities and behaviour which constitute fraud.

• Theft of DAFM property;

• Forgery or inappropriate alteration of documents in any medium.

• Attempts to inappropriately obtain funds under any Department scheme or measure.

• Breaches of National or EU legislation calculated to give advantage to the perpetrator or another.

• Destruction or removal of records in a manner contrary to law or to conceal an unlawful act.

• Acceptance of goods and services as an inducement to giving work or some benefit to any supplier.

• Falsifying expense or overtime claims.

• Disclosing confidential information to outside parties without authority, for personal gain or to inappropriately advantage any party.

• Abuse of the Department’s assets and facilities for personal gain.

• Inappropriate alteration or destruction of computer records or changing computer programs.

• The inappropriate use of computer facilities or systems.

• Offering or acceptance of inducements, gifts, favours, payment or benefit in kind which may influence the action of any person.

• An individual or group inside the Department.

• An individual or group outside the Department.

• A group of individuals colluding, either inside or outside the Department.

Notes

The department requires a number of details in order to proceed with investigations into suspected fraud. Your assistance in providing as much detail as possible in your report will greatly assist in this process.

Please be sure to consider the below when submitting your report;

Disclosure Of Information

• conveying facts, such as stating that particular events have occurred

• the information must, however basic, pithy or concise, tend to show one or more relevant wrongdoing

• motivation of the worker making a disclosure is irrelevant

Reasonable Belief

• reporting person must have a reasonable belief that the information disclosed shows, or tends to show, wrongdoing

• must be subjectively believed and objectively reasonable

• does not have to be correct – you can be mistaken in your belief once it was based on reasonable grounds

We will assess the information you provide and conduct an investigation, however, we will not be in a position to provide you with any outcomes of these investigations.

An investigation may lead to someone having their DAFM payment amended, losing their payments, and/or being prosecuted.

There are certain situations where information provided about a person to the department may not result in further action as it may already be known to the department and an eligibility exists.

See the document below for the department's full policy and guidance document on reporting fraud.