Chesterfield County is marking the 25th Annual International Fraud Awareness Week, observed from November 16 to 22, by highlighting its Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline (804-318-8000). The county encourages both residents and employees to report any suspected misuse of government or school resources.
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) estimates that organizations worldwide lose about 5% of their annual revenues to fraud. According to the ACFE’s 2024 report, tips remain the most effective way to detect organizational fraud, with hotlines providing a confidential method for reporting concerns.
Chesterfield’s hotline operates around the clock and allows callers to remain anonymous. Caller ID and call back features are disabled to protect confidentiality.
“Here in Chesterfield, our department takes all legitimate reports of fraud, waste and abuse seriously and we make every effort to properly investigate these and other issues,” said Khara Durden, Chesterfield County Internal Audit director. “We are thankful to Chesterfield government and school employees for their participation as well as those in the community in our fraud, waste and abuse program. They all bring attention to areas which may not be reviewed during our normal auditing procedures.”
Residents who suspect wrongdoing involving county or school assets are encouraged to report it. The county defines fraud as intentional deception that results in a benefit or causes harm. Waste includes both intentional and unintentional misuse or careless handling of resources.
Examples of violations include falsification of records, serious abuse or excessive use of time, and theft of funds.
Complaints can be submitted online through an official form or public portal, anonymously by phone at (804) 318-8000, by email at audit@chesterfield.gov, in person, by fax at 804-768-9346 after completing a reporting form, or by mail addressed to Internal Audit at P.O. Box 40 Chesterfield, VA 23832.
Other hotlines exist for specific types of fraud: Social Services-related concerns such as food stamp fraud can be reported at 804-748-1100; personal fraud like identity theft can be reported via the police non-emergency number at 804-7481251 or Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660.
More information on reporting fraud is available at chesterfield.gov/ReportFraud.
Fraud Week was established by ACFE in 2000 as a dedicated time for raising awareness about fraud. The campaign urges business leaders and employees to take proactive steps against fraud through education and awareness initiatives.
During Fraud Week, Chesterfield County will share information through social media channels and its e-newsletter “Happening in Chesterfield.”
Additional resources for Fraud Week can be found at https://fraudweek.com/fraudweek/resources.
Chesterfield County Public Schools District is the only district serving the area and enrolled over 64,000 students during the 2023–24 school year. Thomas Dale High School had the highest enrollment among local schools with more than 2,500 students. White students made up the largest ethnic group in county schools at approximately 43%, followed by Black students at just over one-quarter of enrollment. Total student numbers increased slightly from the previous year. For pre-kindergarten programs, Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy enrolled more than two-fifths of all pre-K students in the county.
