We are committed to maintaining an environment where internal controls are established and improved. The Clerk of Court has established several means for employees and residents to report potential fraud, waste, or abuse by the following that have a business relationship with Seminole County:
The Inspector General’s Office can only investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in the operations and financial records of Seminole County government agencies, departments, employees, and others under the authority of the Board of County Commissioners. We also investigate fraud in guardianship cases filed in Seminole County.
We do not investigate complaints on issues such as civil litigation, judges, attorneys, immigration, or criminal cases. Those complaints should be filed with the proper law enforcement or regulatory agency.
- Citizens
- Contractors
- Employees
- Vendors
- Other Entities
Under Florida law, email addresses are public records. If you do not want your email address released in response to public records requests, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing (also a public record).
How to Report an Issue
- Click the button below to fill out our online form.
- Hotline: 866-889-8808 or AlertLine. This hotline is operated by Global Solutions.
- Report here on the website using the online form below.
- Send Email to fraudwasteabuse@seminoleclerk.org.
- Personally contact the Inspector General’s office
Instructions for Reporting an Issue
- Describe your concern with as much detail as possible. Provide the names of all individuals involved, including any other witnesses. Give the dates and times the incident(s) occurred and where it happened. State whether there is any supporting documentation to be provided. It can be sent to the address above.
- For email, please keep a record of the date and time you send your communication. These two items will serve as your identification codes if you choose to follow up on any concerns reported.
- If no contact information is provided, please call the hotline above two weeks after reporting your concern(s). Often after we start our investigation, questions arise or further clarification is necessary to continue the investigation. Therefore, it is extremely important for you to contact us after the initial contact.
Complaint Intake Process
Upon receipt of a complaint, a preliminary review is made to determine if sufficient information has been obtained, and the probability that the alleged acts could have occurred. Credible complaints outside of the Inspector General’s jurisdiction are referred to the appropriate agency. Program-related, personnel, or administrative matters often do not result in an investigation being opened. In these situations, we refer the complaint, when appropriate, to the proper Clerk or County department. Complainants who provide contact information receive notification whether the complaint has been received and is being reviewed.
By virtue of the Florida Whistleblower Protection Act (Florida Statute §112.3187), employees who report suspected wrongdoing or fraudulent activities meeting the definition in the Whistleblower Act are protected from retaliation by management or other employees.
Persons reporting fraud, waste, and abuse directed against the County must provide sufficient details to facilitate an investigation. Immediate reporting is necessary while facts are still fresh in the mind of the complainant. Therefore, it is important that reports answer the following questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how.
- Who was involved? (names, addresses, phone numbers, if available)
- What happened? (summary of events, additional sources of evidence)
- When did it happen? (date, time, frequency)
- Where did it happen? (location, city, state)
- Why was it done? (any known motive for committing such act)
