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Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

The Bay County Clerk of Court and Comptroller is committed to preventing fraud and maintaining an environment in which internal controls are established and improved. A crucial element of internal control is a mechanism for preventing and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse of county resources.

  • Fraud is defined by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners as any intentional or deliberate act to deprive another of property or money by guile, deception or other unfair means.
  • Waste refers to the unintentional, thoughtless or careless expenditure, consumption, mismanagement, use or squandering of government resources to the detriment or potential detriment of the County or Clerk.
  • Abuse refers to intentional, wrongful or improper use or destruction of government resources, or seriously improper practice that does not involve prosecutable fraud.

The Clerk, through the Department of Inspector General, established several means for employees and citizens to report potential fraud, waste or abuse by employees, contractors, vendors, citizens, or other entities that have a business relationship with the Bay County Board of County Commissioners. All complaints received are reviewed by the Clerk’s Inspector General to determine if sufficient information exists to conduct a meaningful investigation.

The Florida Whistle-blowers Act: In accordance with FS 112.3187, employees who report suspected wrongdoing or fraudulent activities are protected from retaliation by management or other employees. Persons reporting wrongdoing or fraudulent activities should provide sufficient details to facilitate an investigation.

What to Report:

  • Fraud, waste, or abuse/mismanagement of assets or resources in relation to Bay County:
    • Board of County Commissioners
    • Clerk of Court and Comptroller
  • Violations or circumvention of County or Clerk policies, local laws, rules or State or Federal regulations

What Not to Report:

  • General complaints, suggestions, or personnel issues
  • Issues of extreme urgency, such as threat of violence or harassment
  • Fraud, waste, or abuse of non-County resources

How to Report: We encourage reporting through our Fraud Waste and Abuse Hotline, hosted by a 3rd party provider, EthicsPoint. Reports can be made 24/7/365:

Please provide specific information, such as names, dates, locations, and other pertinent information.

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