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The general public, City staff and anyone doing business with the City can report suspected fraud, waste, or wrongdoing involving City resources. The City of Toronto’s Fraud & Waste Hotline Program is operated by the Forensic Unit of the Auditor General’s Office.

Knowing where to report your complaint

It is important to file your complaint with the appropriate source. Knowing when to report a matter to 3-1-1 Toronto, the police non-emergency line, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, or the City of Toronto Fraud & Waste Hotline Program will ensure your complaint is being handled in an efficient and effective manner.

Outside of the scope of the Auditor General’s Office

Service Complaint

I have a complaint or concern regarding a City of Toronto service.

E.g. Animal/pest complaints, Bylaw violations and property issues, Damaged traffic signals/road signs, Graffiti, Large debris, Maintenance of trees, Noise complaints, Sidewalk/road repairs, Winter maintenance, Spills, Solid waste/garbage collection, bins and litter, Water and sewer issues, etc.

Call
3-1-1
or
create a service request
Scam

I have been scammed by a member of the public.

E.g. Scams relating to the offering or selling of products/services (including through social media platforms), cryptocurrency, telemarketing, and e-mail and text messaging scams

Call
1-888-495-8501
(Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre)
and/or
416-808-2222
(Police non-emergency line)
CRA Scam

I have been contacted by someone claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency.

E.g. Asked to provide personal information such as a social insurance number and/or banking/credit card information, asked to make a payment

Call
1-888-495-8501
(Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre)
and/or
1-800-265-2577
(CRA)

Within the scope of the Auditor General’s Office

Fraud, Waste or Wrongdoing of City of Toronto Resources

I suspect fraud, waste (for example, paying for unnecessary and/or inadequate services or assets with City funds) or wrongdoing involving City of Toronto resources.

Make a complaint to the Fraud and Waste Hotline (Read more below)

To make a complaint to the Fraud & Waste Hotline, you can:

  • Fill out and submit your complaint via our secure online form
  • Email your complaint to AuditorGeneral@toronto.ca
  • Call the Fraud & Waste Hotline at 416-397-7867 – answered 24/7 by an independent call centre
  • Write a physical letter and mail it to: Auditor General’s Office, Fraud & Waste Hotline, 55 John St., 9th floor, Toronto, ON M5V 3C6

Are you a City employee? Click here to learn about specific fraud and waste guidelines that may apply to you

More About the Fraud & Waste Hotline

The Fraud & Waste Hotline (the “Hotline”) is a confidential and anonymous program that allows employees and members of the public to report incidents of suspected fraud, waste or wrongdoing involving City resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Hotline program is managed by the Forensic Unit of the Auditor General’s Office, an independent and objective office accountable to Council.

The Auditor General’s Forensic Unit:

  • processes all complaints received through the Hotline
  • screens each complaint to determine the action (i.e., the disposition):
  • tracks each complaint through its lifecycle
  • conducts investigations
  • provides oversight on investigations led by City divisions, agencies and corporations and
  • reports annually to Council on the activity of the program.

Does your complaint relate to suspected fraud, waste or wrongdoing involving City resources?

Complainants should try to answer these questions:

  • Do the allegations involve a City employee or someone conducting business with the City?
  • Do the allegations involve potential fraud, waste or wrongdoing related to City funds, assets or resources?

If YES, specific information should be gathered to support the allegation(s) as the following information will be requested when filing a complaint:

  • WHO was involved in the potential fraud, waste or wrongdoing? WHO else may be aware of the incident?
  • WHAT are the allegations? WHAT City funds, assets or resources were involved?
  • WHERE did the potential fraud, waste or wrongdoing take place?
  • WHEN did the potential fraud, waste or wrongdoing take place?
  • HOW did you become aware of the potential fraud, waste or wrongdoing?
  • Any further relevant information and/or documentation in support of your complaint.

If you are uncertain, please refer to the Types of Allegations the Auditor General’s Office Investigates below. If you are still uncertain after reviewing this information, you may still proceed with Filing a Complaint, which will be reviewed by the Auditor General’s Office.

If your complaint does NOT relate to suspected fraud, waste or wrongdoing involving City resources, the complaint is outside of our scope and no action will be taken. See the Types of Allegations the Auditor General’s Office does NOT Investigate below for additional resources.

Types of allegations that are within the scope of the Fraud & Waste Hotline include suspected fraud, waste, or wrongdoing involving City resources. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Breach of public trust
  • Subsidy fraud
  • Social assistance fraud
  • Conflict of interest
  • Fraud
  • Inappropriate use of corporate time
  • Irregular employee work hours
  • Excessive overtime
  • Irregular benefit claims
  • Irregular purchasing
  • Loss of City revenue
  • Misuse of City funds and resources
  • Theft of City assets
  • Waste of City of Toronto Funds or Resources

The Auditor General’s Office is also responsible for leading investigations of alleged reprisals involving City of Toronto employees in consultation with the City Manager or designate.

Complaints that are outside of the scope of the Fraud & Waste Hotline program and should NOT be reported are those that do not involve suspected fraud, waste, or wrongdoing involving City resources.

Matters that do not relate to City funds and resources

Example Where To Report
Scams (e.g., related to the offering or selling of products or services (including through social media platforms), cryptocurrency, telemarketing, e-mail and text messaging scams (including phishing and identity theft))
  • The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
  • Phone: 1-888-495-8501 (toll free)
  • Hours of operation: Monday-Friday 9:00 am – 4:45 pm – Eastern Time
  • Visit Website
Income tax fraud or tax evasion
Concerns about the safety of children

Service-related issues pertaining to the City of Toronto

Example Where To Report
  • Abandoned vehicles
  • Animal, insect and pest complaints
  • Bylaw violations and property issues
  • Damaged traffic signals or road signs
  • Graffiti removal
  • Large debris blocking roadways
  • Maintenance of trees, grass and leaves
  • Noise complaints
  • Sidewalk and road repairs
  • Snow clearing and winter maintenance
  • Spills
  • Solid waste/garbage collection, bins and litter
  • Water and sewer issues
Click here for additional information.
City of Toronto workplace violence, harassment, bullying, and discrimination

Refer to the following policies and contact your Supervisor or Manager, as appropriate:

  • Human Rights Office
  • Online complaint form: If your complaint falls under the Human Rights and
    Anti-Harassment/Discrimination
    Policy (HRAP), you may use the Human Rights Office (HRO) confidential online complaint form to file a complaint with the HRO.
  • Visit Website
Emergency situations
  • Toronto Police Service (emergency)
  • Call 9-1-1
  • Remember, calling 911 for non-emergency situations could cause a delay in someone else getting life-saving help in time.
Mental health concerns

Where to file a complaint with the Fraud & Waste Hotline:

  • Fill out and submit your complaint via our secure online form
  • Email your complaint to AuditorGeneral@toronto.ca
  • Call the Fraud & Waste Hotline at 416-397-STOP (7867) – answered 24/7 by an independent call centre
  • Write a physical letter and mail it to: Auditor General’s Office, Fraud & Waste Hotline, 55 John St., 9th floor, Toronto, ON M5V 3C6

What to include in your complaint:

In your own words, describe the fraud, waste or wrongdoing you would like to report as it relates to the City of Toronto, including:

  • Date of incident
  • Description of complaint Please fully explain the fraud, waste or wrongdoing.
  • WHO was involved in the potential fraud, waste or wrongdoing? Who else may be aware of the incident? E.g., Have you identified the suspected person(s) involved in the event? Can you provide a name, physical description, position and/or work area?
  • WHAT are the allegations? WHAT City funds, assets or resources were involved?
  • WHERE did the potential fraud, waste or wrongdoing take place? E.g., Have you identified the location where the event took place such as the City office, municipal address, intersection and/or other details about the location?
  • WHEN did the potential fraud, waste or wrongdoing take place? E.g., Have you identified the exact time and date when the event took place?
  • HOW did you become aware of the potential fraud, waste or wrongdoing? E.g., Did you observe the event?
  • Any other relevant information related to your complaint.
  • Whether you wish to remain anonymous.

We take your comments very seriously and appreciate you taking the time to be as specific as possible. Providing specific, factual and detailed information will help with our review of this matter.

The Hotline Program is not an emergency service. If you are reporting an emergency where people or property are at risk and Police, Fire or Ambulance are required, call 911 immediately. Remember, calling 911 for non-emergency situations could cause a delay in someone else getting life-saving help in time.

If you wish to remain anonymous:

  • If you provide your name and contact information, it will remain confidential in accordance with section 181 Duty of Confidentiality of the City of Toronto Act.
  • If you choose to file your complaint through our secure online form AND choose to remain anonymous, you will be given a system-generated ID and password to facilitate anonymous two-way communication between you and our Office. This feature allows you to log back into the system to submit additional information. Our Office may also send follow-up questions regarding your complaint, which can only be seen after logging back into the system.
  • The Auditor General’s Office collects personal information on this form to help fulfill their mandate under the City of Toronto Act. The information will be used for contact purposes, if clarification is required (subject to contact information being provided), and to investigate as appropriate.
  • Questions about this collection can be directed to the Auditor General’s Office, Fraud & Waste Hotline Program, Metro Hall, 55 John Street, 9th floor, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3C6 or by telephone at 416-392-8030.
  • See the Confidentiality of Complaints section below for further information.

All personal information will be handled in confidence in accordance with the City’s privacy statement and policies. Complaints will remain confidential for those willing to identify themselves, and anonymous complaints will also be investigated. If a complainant identifies themselves, the identity of the complainant will not be disclosed unless the Auditor General is compelled to do so by law. All participants in a fraud investigation are required to keep the details and results of the investigation confidential.

Each complaint received is tracked and screened by designated intake staff, with appropriate supervisory review. Forensic Unit staff, in consultation with the Auditor General or designate, determine the appropriate disposition, or how to deal with the complaint.

Disposition options that may be assigned to a complaint or a particular allegation within a complaint include:

  1. Investigation:
    • Led by the Auditor General’s Office
    • Led by the Division, Agency or Corporation (with a report back to the Auditor General’s Office)
  2. Future Audit by the Auditor General’s Office
  3. Referral to Division, Agency or Corporation for Information Only
  4. No Action:
    • Not enough information
    • Duplicate
    • Outside our scope
    • Preliminary inquiries conducted suggest no further action warranted

If a complaint is actionable, we do not disclose the specific action taken to the complainant nor do we disclose the nature of any disciplinary action taken by divisional, agency or corporation management.

We are unable to provide complainants with any details as to the progress or outcomes of a review/investigation given the sensitive and personal nature of the information collected and due to the Auditor General’s duty of confidentiality in accordance with section 181 of the City of Toronto Act.

If a suspicion of fraud or other wrongdoing is substantiated by the investigation, disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, shall be taken by the appropriate level of management, in consultation with the People & Equity Division and the City Solicitor as appropriate.

The Auditor General’s Office is not responsible for determining employee discipline.

The Auditor General’s Office is responsible for leading investigations involving allegations of reprisal against City of Toronto employees.

No person shall take a reprisal against a City employee because the employee:

  • has sought information or advice about making a disclosure about wrongdoing;
  • has made a disclosure about wrongdoing in good faith;
  • has acted in compliance with the City’s Disclosure of Wrongdoing & Reprisal Protection Provisions;
  • has initiated or co-operated in an investigation or other process related to a disclosure of wrongdoing;
  • has appeared as a witness, given evidence or participated in any proceeding relating to the wrongdoing, or is required to do so;
  • has alleged or reported a reprisal; or,
  • is suspected of any of the above actions.

Reprisal protection may not be able to be extended to employees whose identity cannot be confirmed.

Financial accountability is a top priority for the City of Toronto. The Disclosure of Wrongdoing and Reprisal Protection formalizes the expectations of City officials and employees to report wrongdoing if they suspect it.

Integrity Commissioner

The Integrity Commissioner oversees the conduct and ethical behaviour of City Councillors and Members of local boards. If you have a complaint concerning an elected official of the City of Toronto, you can discuss this with the staff at the Auditor General’s Office or the Office of the Integrity Commissioner to determine what is appropriate in the circumstances. Generally, the Integrity Commissioner investigates and reports to Council when a complaint is filed against a City Councillor alleging a violation of the Councillor’s Code of Conduct.

Ombudsman Toronto

Ombudsman Toronto listens to and investigates complaints and concerns about City administration and unfairness in the delivery of City services. If you feel you have been treated unfairly by or received unfair service from the City of Toronto, please complete the Ombudsman’s Online Complaint Form.

Lobbyist Registrar

The Lobbyist Registrar ensures the public disclosure of lobbying activities and oversees the regulation of lobbyists’ conduct within the City of Toronto. To submit an inquiry regarding a potential breach of the Lobbying By-law, please complete the Lobbyist Registrar’s Online Complaint Form.

Fraud: Fraud is the act of using dishonesty as a tool for personal gain. Fraud (and other similar irregularities) includes, but is not limited to:

  • Forgery or alteration of cheques, drafts, promissory notes and securities
  • Any misappropriation of funds, securities, supplies, or any other asset
  • Any irregularity in the handling or reporting of money transactions
  • Stealing or selling for private gain City furniture, fixtures and equipment
  • Seeking or accepting anything of material value from vendors, consultants or contractors doing business with the City in violation of the City’s Conflict of Interest policy
  • Unauthorized use or misuse of City property, equipment, materials or records
  • Any computer-related activity involving the alteration, destruction, forgery or manipulation of data for fraudulent purposes or misappropriation of City-owned software
  • Any claim for reimbursement of expenses that were not made for the exclusive benefit of the City
  • Any similar or related irregularity

Waste: The mismanagement of City resources or assets in a wilful, intentional or negligent manner that contravenes a City policy or direction by Council, as defined by the Disclosure of Wrongdoing and Reprisal Protection Provisions. For example, paying for unnecessary and/or inadequate services or assets with City funds. Waste also includes incurring unnecessary costs because of inefficient or ineffective practices, systems or controls.

Wrongdoing: Wrongdoing, as defined by the Disclosure of Wrongdoing and Reprisal Protection Provisions, refers to serious actions that are contrary to the public interest including but not limited to:

  • Fraud
  • Theft of City assets
  • Waste
  • Violations of the City’s Conflict of Interest provisions
  • Breach of public trust

The Auditor General’s Office is committed to corresponding in a respectful and professional manner. Similarly, it is expected that those who report fraud, waste or wrongdoing will do the same. Staff within the Auditor General’s Office will not tolerate profane language, threatening, discriminatory or harassing behaviour.

Repeated behaviour of this kind will result in our Office restricting communications.

Are you a City employee?

Learn about specific fraud and waste guidelines that may apply to you.

Learn More

Contact Information