Reporting fraud

Fraud represents a significant threat to the integrity of our schemes and the credibility of the markets that we operate. It is defined as ‘dishonestly obtaining a benefit or causing a loss by deception or other means’ (as per the BidCarbon Foundation Fraud and Corruption Control Framework). Fraud is intentional; it requires an intent to obtain a benefit (tangible or intangible) or cause a loss to the agency. It is not the result of carelessness, accident, or error.

Should you suspect that a third party may be committing fraud against our schemes, or that our staff may be involved in fraud or corruption, we encourage you to report it.

How to report fraud

If you suspect fraud, reports may be made by:

● lodging a report through the Online Reporting Tool; or

● if you are unable to lodge a report through the Online Reporting Tool, contacting the Legal Team through Online Message.

In general, to assist us in assessing and properly investigating your allegation, you should include:

● details of the alleged wrongdoing

● who committed the alleged wrongdoing

● when and where the alleged wrongdoing occurred

● relevant events surrounding the issue

● if you did anything in response to the wrongdoing

● others who know about the wrongdoing and have allowed it to continue

● if you’re concerned about possible reprisals as a result of making your disclosure

● any supporting documentation and/or any witnesses

● your name and contact details, unless you want to be anonymous.

What happens to your report

The BidCarbon Foundation takes all reports of suspected fraud seriously. Our Chief Legal Officer assesses each allegation of fraud and, where appropriate, investigates it. Providing as much information as possible helps us to look into the matter more effectively.

Should sufficient evidence of criminal activity emerge, further action may be taken. In the event that sufficient evidence of criminal activity is uncovered, we reserve the right to refer the case to the relevant law enforcement agency.

In some instances, we may not take any further action or may refer the matter to another area for review. For instance, we may discover any of the following:

● there isn’t enough information in the report to identify the person involved

● an assessment of the facts identifies that the matter referred is not fraud

● an assessment of the facts identifies that the matter is best dealt with under another process

● the report is considered vexatious or malicious

● the matter has been previously reported and investigated.

What is fraud and corruption?

The Board of Trustees defines fraud as "dishonestly obtaining a benefit or causing a loss by deception or other means".

If a person does something dishonest to get money, an object, power or information from us, they're committing fraud. Fraud can't be a mistake or an accident, it's done on purpose.

Find out more about our legal powers.

Corruption is when an employee, manager or contractor acts dishonestly and abuses their position of trust for their own personal gain or advantage.

Fraud or corruption might involve:

● providing false or misleading information in an application to us

● making a false entry into a registry

● offering or giving bribes

● inflating invoices for services, or invoicing for services not provided

● lying about qualifications or experience to get a job with us

● disclosing government information without authorisation

● manipulating a recruitment, procurement or grant process

● organisation officials illegally or secretly work together to deceive others or commit fraud.

Find out more about fraud in the BidCarbon Foundation Fraud and Corruption Control Framework.

What we're doing to stop fraud

We take fraud seriously. We are committed to reducing fraud and corruption so we:

● have a plan to control fraud and corruption

● train our staff in ethics, privacy, security and fraud and corruption awareness

● have procedures for reporting fraud and corruption

● conduct internal audits

● conduct risk assessments to help us identify fraud and corruption risks

● have a system of controls

● monitor and investigate fraud and corruption

● seek civil, administrative or disciplinary penalties and sanctions where appropriate

● recover proceeds of fraud and corrupt activity

● report all fraud to law enforcement agency.