Prevent financial fraud against your farm business

Fraudsters may target farmers and landowners who receive subsidygrant payments.payments with fake emails and text messages.

Attempted fraud

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) are aware that some farmers havemay receivedreceive 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.

TheseGenuine messagesemails from RPA may include a link to the Rural Payments service to allow you to check your personal and business details are notup genuine.to date.

Defra and  and RPA will donever not send emailstext ormessages texts with links to websites asking you to confirm your personal details or payment information. They will notnever ask you to make a payment over the telephone.

You may be invited to complete surveys via text message. These will include a link, but they will never ask for personal data or bank information.

If in doubt, call the Rural Payments helpline on 03000 200 301 Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm.

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

• ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk
• rural.payments.service@notifications.service.gov.uk
• ruralpayments@rpa.gov.uk
• ruralpayments@rpa-emails.com
• rpa@notifications.service.gov.uk
• defra.payments@notifications.service.gov.ukDonotreply@admin.ruralpayments.service.gov.uk
• FTFClaimSubmission@rpa.gov.uk
• FETFEnquiries@rpa.gov.uk
• FETFClaims@rpa.gov.uk
• FTF@rpa.gov.uk
• RDPEPostPaymentMonitoring@rpa.gov.uk
• GSpostpayment@rpa.gov.uk
• GSClaimQueries@rpa.gov.uk
• GSClaimSubmission@rpa.gov.uk

What you should do

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

If you receive a suspicious telephone call, do not discuss your bank account details or make a payment over the telephone with someone you do not know.

To protect yourself from fraud be cautious about what information you share externally, particularly on social media.media, and never share your passwords with anyone.

How to report fraud

If you suspect an attempted fraudfraud, orcontact:

RPA’s thinkFraud you’veLine

Telephone: been0800 the347 subject347 ofMonday fraud,to contact:Friday 8:30am to 5pm

RPA’s Fraud Referral Team

Telephone:Email: 0800FraudInConfidence@rpa.gov.uk

Post: 347Fraud 347Referral Team, PO Box 69, Reading, RG1 3YD

Email:If FraudInConfidence@rpa.gov.ukyou think you have been the subject of fraud, you can forward suspicious text messages to 7726 as reports to mobile providers.

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

Telephone: 0300 123 2040