Fraud control

Our commitment

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is dedicated to preventing and addressing fraud to maintain the integrity of our operations and support the industries and the community we serve.

Our actions to prevent fraud

We work to prevent fraud through:

• maintaining a fraud control policy, procedure and plan
• training all staff in fraud awareness
• having established procedures for reporting suspected fraud
• conducting internal audit activities
• regularly conducting risk assessments to assist in identifying fraud risks.

Understanding fraud

Fraud involves obtaining or trying to obtain financial benefits or causing financial losses through deception. It requires deliberate actions, not mere mistakes or accidents.

Fraud can be perpetrated internally (by staff or contractors of the department) or externally (by service providers, contractors, individual recipients of department funding or organised crime groups). There is also a combination of internal and external fraud, which is known as complex fraud.

Examples of fraud

Internal fraud

Falsifying qualifications, accepting bribes, manipulating processes, colluding with external parties, misusing resources, or improperly disclosing information.

External fraud

Providing false information in applications, offering bribes, inflating invoices, or misusing grant funds.

How to report suspected fraud

You can report suspected fraud by:

• filling in our reporting suspected fraud form
• emailing us at reportwrongdoing.dtbar@nt.gov.au
• calling us on 08 8999 3839 or 08 8999 3622
• reporting directly on the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption website.

Information to provide

When reporting fraud, you can choose to remain anonymous. Providing detailed information helps us investigate effectively:

• details about the person/s involved, such as names, phone numbers, addresses, and relevant organisations
• information about actions or activities suspected to be fraudulent or corrupt, including how, when and where the activity occurred
• contact details (individuals may choose to remain anonymous).

What happens next

We take all fraud reports seriously. Each report is assessed and investigated as necessary, and may require the involvement of external parties such as the Northern Territory Police.

The department may take legal action against the alleged party, if sufficient evidence has been gathered.

While we strive to respond to your allegations, privacy laws may prevent us from sharing investigation outcomes.