Report fraud to Defra
Source: gov.uk (2025-05-29)

You can report fraud, bribery and corruption against the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

Defra takes fraud seriously. We want to prevent, stop and disrupt fraud and error from happening. We will treat all information provided to us in:
- confidence (privately)
- accordance with our obligations under data protection legislation
What you can report

If you suspect wrongdoing, fraud, bribery or corruption, let us know. This includes:
- theft or misuse of assets and property
- ‘false representation’ meaning lying or hiding information and facts
- procurement, contractual, credit, or payment fraud
- payroll fraud and errors in allowances
- misuse of Defra property or services such as commercial vehicles, hire cars, plant and equipment
- cybercrime and identity related fraud
You can also let us know about errors and mistakes which result in suspicion of wrongdoing or financial loss to Defra.

How to send a report

You can send information anonymously, but this limits our ability to investigate and provide feedback.

Make the report as soon as you become aware of or suspect something, no matter how small you feel your concern might be.

Telephone:

UK only: xx-xxxx-xxxx

from outside the UK: xx-xxxx-xxxx

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Post:

Defra Helpline Seacole Building 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF

Information you should provide

When sending the report, include:
- 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 ask for it at a later date
Do not try to gather more supporting evidence without contacting us first. Doing this may put you at risk and could invalidate investigations by us or the police.

You can ask for anonymity, but 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.

If your report relates to an organisation within the wider Defra group, we may refer it onto the relevant counter fraud lead within that organisation to consider and potentially investigate further.

How we protect whistleblowers

You may be acting as a whistleblower (usually an employee of the organisation or company you’re reporting). In this case, we will do our best to keep your identity confidential from your employer or managers, unless you choose otherwise.

If you’re an employee of Defra Group, refer to the whistleblowing guidance on the relevant staff intranet for more information on protections.

If you are not sure whether a disclosure is protected, you should get independent advice (https://protect-advice.org.uk/).

Reporting fraud to others

There are also other organisations who may investigate or give advice. Contact:
- the police (https://www.police.uk/pu/contact-us/what-and-how-to-report/how-to-report/) - if you suspect a crime has been committed
- HMRC (https://www.gov.uk/report-tax-fraud) - if you have concerns related to tax, for example money laundering - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/money-laundering) and tax evasion (https://www.gov.uk/report-tax-fraud)
You can also report fraud, phishing and scams to Action Fraud (https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime).