Guidance

Prevent financial fraud against your farm business

How you can protect your farming business from fraud and know what to do if you experience or suspect fraud.

From:
Rural Payments Agency
Published
6 December 2019
Last updated
5 January 2023 — See all updates

Fraudsters may target farmers and landowners who receive subsidy payments.

Attempted fraud

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) are aware that some farmers have received emails, texts and telephone calls claiming to be from them. The messages can include links to fake websites designed to look like an authentic RPA or Defra online service.

These messages are not genuine. Defra and RPA do not send emails or texts with links to websites asking you to confirm your personal details or payment information. They will not ask you to make a payment over the telephone.

These are the main email addresses you should expect from Defra or RPA:

What you should do

If you receive a suspicious email or text, do not open the link but delete the item.

If you receive a suspicious telephone call, do not discuss your bank account details with someone you do not know.

To protect yourself from fraud be cautious about what information you share externally, particularly on social media.

How to report fraud

If you suspect an attempted fraud or think you’ve been the subject of fraud, contact:

RPA’s Fraud Referral Team

Telephone: 0800 347 347

Email: [email protected]

Action Fraud (the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber-crime)

Telephone: 0300 123 2040

Updates to this page

Published 6 December 2019
Last updated 5 January 2023 + show all updates

  1. Title, summary and text reworded to give customers more clarity who the information applies to and what they need to do. Details have not changed.

  2. Updated list of main RPA email addresses

  3. General text update and email address removed.

  4. First published.

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