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Original poster

I need to send a 100% anonymous whistleblowing email

113 replies

WhistBl · 07/01/2021 19:02

I’m going to send the email whatever happens but I’m trying to make it as untraceable as possible. I know nothing is 100% but as good as it gets.

Yes I know I could follow process but the process isn’t working and is broken. There are any number of people who could be reporting this so it won’t be traced back to me. I’m 100% not a covid denying loon and it’s not anything to do with that (I’m NHS)

Plan so far is gmail account with no backup email or phone number (which I think you can do?)

Open account and send email through a VPN.

Vague/generic name for the email address

Anything I haven’t thought of?

OP posts:

oakleaffy · 07/01/2021 20:10

@SomewhatBored

In the text - a minor but recurring spelling/punctuation error you'd never normally make.

Very true.. I wrote an anonymous note to someone about an abusive situation and it was years ago so hand written...I put in deliberate grammatical errors like “ Could of” &c.

It was acted upon, luckily, and not traced back to me.
But I got a friend to post it from many miles away.

Emails are different, so not sure about TOR browsers?

Puzzledandpissedoff · 07/01/2021 20:11

Ah, I see - thanks, amitoooldforthisshit
Always useful to get extra background, but definitely one to remember!!

PlanDeRaccordement · 07/01/2021 20:12

@BarelyMerry

Who are you blowing the whistle to? You can make a disclosure to certain organisations (eg CQC, Charity Commission) under the protection of the Public Interest Disclosure act. If you suffer harm (eg you are sacked or demoted) then you can sue. I would suggest contacting Protect (whistleblowing charity) for advice. They can help you get your concerns to the right place. Good luck OP - I know it's a horrible position to be in x

This is what you should do. Anonymous email doesn’t do it. You need to be actually blowing the whistle to regulators and your MP.

Original poster

WhistBl · 07/01/2021 20:14

@Splodgetastic, given I have and don’t intend on mentioning any of the details of the complaint then no I don’t. I’m sure many people whistleblow.

Twitter I thought of but discounted as you need a phone/email to make an account and it’s just another layer of possibly identifying myself

Email is going to the CQC, the clinical commissioning group, MP and senior managers. I realise that anonymous complaints don’t hold as much weight but I also know that if someone properly investigated people would talk and it would snowball and sort itself out/get fixed. Nobody wants to be the first

OP posts:

satnighttakeaway · 07/01/2021 20:15

I agree about the difficulties with reporting anonymously, years ago when I was a school governor someone sent an anonymous complaint letter with some serious allegations but nothing could be done to follow up as there was no way contact the writer.

I understood the reasons behind it but there was no way for any action to be taken

time4anothername · 07/01/2021 20:17

@DayBath

If you're NHS you should have a whistleblowing policy, it should say in that who to contact and how to do it.

there will certainly be a policy, there will be a Guardian, there will be all sorts of toothless policies in place that actually do nothing to safeguard those who whistleblow

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 07/01/2021 20:18

all printers embed metadata on the page that the information is being printed on (they scatter very small pale yellow dots all over the page in a morse code like sequence)

Do they?

Even if they only have a black ink cartridge?

catlovingbeth · 07/01/2021 20:21

But how would they trace something back to your printer? Surely they’re not going to look at everyone in the trust’s printer?

2020quelhorreur · 07/01/2021 20:21

You can get a pay as you go sim for your phone - and use that number to set up an email.

mummysquasher · 07/01/2021 20:21

Not sure if it has been mentioned already but the Indy's health correspondent could be a good starter. He's on twitter www.independent.co.uk/author/shaun-lintern

time4anothername · 07/01/2021 20:23

@BarelyMerry

there's many an ended NHS career from those naive enough to believe that they would be protected.

Have a read of this keepournhspublic.com/whistleblowing-law-danger/

Peachered · 07/01/2021 20:27

Don't send an anonymous e-mail if it's about a person, it could end up with the police and none of the above will protect you adequately (well, assuming the police looked into it). If it's about processes rather than police then fine, but anonymous emails are rarely taken seriously either.

You need a burner phone, and do not have your actual phone on you when you use the burner phone and then do it that way - travel away from where you without taking your regular phone with you - send it then. Make sure it's not somewhere you travel to regularly, then ditch the phone and sim.

amitoooldforthisshit · 07/01/2021 20:28

@RainingBatsAndFrogs

all printers embed metadata on the page that the information is being printed on (they scatter very small pale yellow dots all over the page in a morse code like sequence)

Do they?

Even if they only have a black ink cartridge?

.......... black ink only? I have no clue but they probably have something in place that serves the same purpose

duffeldaisy · 07/01/2021 20:29

Are you a union member? I don't know how the NHS works, but surely you could ask them for help and legal protection? (although I guess even with full legal protection from unfair dismissal, it's more just the awkwardness of having to work with someone you've reported if they find out).

Is there anyone else who has witnessed it that you trust and work with? I know someone who did that in the past in their place of work - because everyone had seen the behaviour at different times, they agreed to write separate emails of their own evidence on the same day, so that no-one could be picked out as a single whistleblower.

littlepattilou · 07/01/2021 20:31

@WhistBl

Even if there is a way to hide your ip address and whereabout (vpn for example,) I am not sure anything will be done.

I know someone who tried to 'whistle-blow' on 4 people in another branch of their company. (I will call her Liz.) They were breaking 3 or 4 of the rules. But nothing was done.

All HR did was constantly ask Liz who she was, and where she worked, and for a written statement. Liz refused to give any information, as they didn't want repercussions. (She didn't believe her name would be kept a secret.)

So HR said they can't do anything. So it was a waste of time, and the 4 people involved kept breaking the rules. A year later, Liz left the place, and as far as she knew, the rules were still being broken in the branch she tried to report.

DayBath · 07/01/2021 20:31

@time4anothername @AcornAutumn @Al1langdownthecleghole

In my Trust the whistleblowing policy worked well. I did admin for 1 senior clinician who used it to great effect and worked alongside an office manager who also found her concerns were acted upon. Not all Trusts are equal. My comment was more aimed at finding out the suggested METHOD of contact rather than suggesting the OPs policy was suitable. She clearly stated in her original post that it wasn't being followed. Some organisations offer an anonymous reporting form on their internal internet portals, which would have been extremely relevant to OP.

God this website pisses me off at times.

DayBath · 07/01/2021 20:37

@catlovingbeth

But how would they trace something back to your printer? Surely they’re not going to look at everyone in the trust’s printer?

Agree, it's hardly CSI worthy is it. Under what grounds couldn't they demand workers to turn in their home printers for inspection?

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 07/01/2021 20:40

OK - I think Inkjet printers do not send secret identifying codes.

Not that I am sending any anonymous letters.

Peachered · 07/01/2021 20:40

Depends what the whistleblowing is about, if it's something like Harold Shipman then they will do everything in their power to find out who the reports came from, even if anonymous.

Krazynights34 · 07/01/2021 20:40

I don’t work for the NHS, but I have complained to the Trust (got nowhere really), the GMC, the police, MO, local paper and recently the CQC (re an assault). The police, GMC and CQC were the only positive experiences.
Good luck OP!!

eczemagate · 07/01/2021 20:41

I second Shaun Linton on Twitter. Excellent journalist

DayBath · 07/01/2021 20:42

@Peachered

Depends what the whistleblowing is about, if it's something like Harold Shipman then they will do everything in their power to find out who the reports came from, even if anonymous.

Ok so pretend there's a massive coverup, even if they demand to inspect printers what if OP just dismantles it and dumps in various bins? It's all getting a bit far fetched anyway.

Friendswithwhenifits · 07/01/2021 20:42

Don’t use your own pc they track the up. When we used to ban people we would ban the ip not the username. Get a smartphone for £20 on eBay, burner sim and throw it after

Original poster

WhistBl · 07/01/2021 20:44

Thank you for all your responses

I’m going to go ahead with the email but also the anonymous reporting tool on the CQC website. I already have express VPN so will use that, send from my phone away from home using proton.

I appreciate all your help.

OP posts:

Original poster

WhistBl · 07/01/2021 20:45

Christ it’s not Harold Shipman worthy!! I’d have no issue putting my name to that

OP posts:

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