Financial Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline

IF THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY OR A CRIME IN PROGRESS, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY.

Arlington County’s Financial Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline builds on our values of good government and transparency operating from a foundation of integrity. The hotline offers a confidential and secure way to report suspected incidents of financial fraud, waste and abuse that will have a negative impact on County operations and/or resources.

Please note that this hotline is for reporting abuse of County resources. Personal fraud (misuse of credit card, hacking of accounts, stolen credit card, etc.) should be reported to the Arlington County Police Department using one of the following methods: Non-emergency: 703-558-2222 | File an online Police Report

Financial Fraud, Waste & Abuse Hotline flyer

Anonymous and Secure

You can make hotline complaints anonymously, or you can choose to identify yourself. The Hotline is operated by a private, third party provider (Ethical Advocate).

Arlington County Financial Fraud, Waste & Abuse Hotline

Report by phone: 866-565-9206
Report online: https://arlingtonva.ethicaladvocate.com

Reporting a Complaint

Whether you contact the Hotline by phone or via the web, you will be asked a series of questions about the incident you are reporting. You will create a username and password.  It is important to keep track of your username and password which will allow you to provide and receive information about your complaint on an ongoing basis. You can choose to be anonymous or provide your identity.

Examples of financial fraud, waste and abuse include (but not limited to):

  • Conflicts of interest
  • Falsification of records
  • Misuse of County resources
  • Procurement irregularities
  • Bribes, kickbacks, illegal gratuities
  • Embezzlement or theft

The Hotline website allows you to upload documents and images to support your complaint.

Processing the Complaint

Complaints will be forwarded to a Review Committee, established by the County Manager to review and to determine appropriate action. All complaints are handled confidentially, and, depending upon the complaint, may be subject to possible review by the Arlington County Police Department and may be subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Other County resources are available to report issues that are not part of this FFWA Hotline Service. For example, the Hotline is not the place to report issues about zoning, taxes, nuisance loud noises, trash pickup, zoning disputes, etc.

Service requests should not be reported through the hotline; please use the Make a Service Request / Report a Problem tool for service requests. 

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