Investigation of Fraud, Waste, or Abuse in County Government

The toll-free Fraud Hotline helps citizens and employees report suspected fraud, waste, or abuse of county resources. An independent, outside reporting agency, EthicsPoint, manages the Fraud Hotline. There are several ways to file a report:

Call the Fraud Hotline
(855) 506-0304

Fax the Fraud Hotline
(941) 861-5704

By Mail Sent to the Internal Audit Department

Fraud Hotline
P.O. Box 3079
Sarasota, FL 34230

When you call the Fraud Hotline and file a report with an EthicsPoint operator, you receive a unique user identifier. Calls to the hotline remain anonymous when proper reporting protocol is followed. If anonymity is not important to you, you may identify yourself if you wish. When you call the Fraud Hotline, the interviewer will ask you if you would like to identify yourself.

If you intend to remain anonymous, ensure that the information given to the interviewer does not reveal your identity. For example, stating "from my desk next to Jane Doe," or "in my 33 years in this department," may reveal your identity. When you call the Fraud Hotline and file a report with an EthicsPoint operator, you receive a unique user identifier.

You may identify yourself if you wish. When you call the hotline, the interviewer will ask if you would like to identify yourself.

The Investigative Services Team will review the allegations and determine if an investigation is warranted. The team gathers information and makes recommendations. The caller to the Hotline may be referred to Sarasota County Human Resources (to report Sarasota County employee harassment, discrimination, or labor issues) or to Sarasota County Ethics and Compliance. Referrals are made to the proper law enforcement agency when evidence suggests that a criminal activity is occurring or may have occurred that warrants a criminal investigation. The Investigative Services Team does not make or enforce the rules.

Reports are made available only to the specific individuals charged with evaluating the report; each investigator is trained to hold reports in the utmost confidence.

In addition to the general descriptions and examples below, also see specific types of fraud, waste, and abuse.

Fraud

Fraud is defined as any intentional act to deprive another of property or money by guile, deception, or other unfair means (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners' fraud manual).

Fraud is an unlawful, dishonest, or unethical act that is intentionally, deliberately, and willfully perpetrated against an organization, in a deceptive and clandestine manner, concealed or covered up, and committed for personal enrichment or to gain unauthorized benefit or advantage. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Personal use of government-owned vehicles, supplies or equipment
• Violations of procurement policy
• Submitting false vouchers for reimbursements
• Soliciting or accepting a bribe or a kickback • Intentionally misrepresenting the costs of goods or services provided
• Falsification of official documents (timesheets, leave reports, travel vouchers, financial records, etc.)
• Theft or misappropriation of funds, supplies, property, or other resources
• Forgery or alteration of financial documents or computer files
• Pursuit of a financial benefit or advantage in violation of conflict-of-interest policies
• Profiting by self or others as a result of inside knowledge

Waste

Waste refers to unintentional, thoughtless, or careless expenditure, use, mismanagement, consumption, or squandering of government resources to the detriment or potential detriment of Sarasota County. Waste also includes unnecessary incurring of costs as a result of inefficient practices, systems, or controls. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Purchase of unneeded supplies or equipment
• Purchase of goods at inflated prices
• Failure to reuse or recycle primary resources or reduce waste generation

Abuse

Abuse refers to intentional, wrongful, or improper use or destruction of government resources, or seriously improper practice that does not involve prosecutable fraud. Abuse can include the excessive or inappropriate use of an employee's or official's position in a manner other than its rightful or legal use. Abuse can occur in financial or non-financial settings.

By establishing open channels of communication, Sarasota County can cultivate a positive work environment and enhance employee productivity. The hotline complements other County efforts to promote a culture of the highest professional and ethical standards, thereby ensuring public trust.

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, 2024, determined that 43% of fraud is detected by tips, which is 3 times the frequency of any other source, and these tips are received from other employees the majority of the time.

To report employee harassment, discrimination, or any bargaining unit labor issues, call the Sarasota County Human Resources Department at 941-861-5353.

To report improper moral or ethical conduct, call Sarasota County Government Ethics at 941-861-5000.

To report ethics concerns regarding Sarasota County Elected Officials, call the Florida Commission on Ethics at 850-488-7864.

YES! In fact, County management needs you to report. Employees know what is going on in the organization, both good and bad. Citizens interact with the government every day. You may be in a position to have initial knowledge of an activity that may be cause for concern.

The EthicsPoint reporting system and the report distribution process are designed so that implicated parties are not granted access to the reports in which they have been named.

When you call the Fraud Hotline and file a report with an EthicsPoint operator, you receive a unique user identifier. You can call the hotline again, and EthicsPoint staff can access the original report if you intend to add further information.

The information you provide regarding an allegation may be considered a public record unless confidential pursuant to Florida Statute 112.3188 or other applicable law. Your call does not constitute a disclosure pursuant to the Florida Whistle-blower's Act.