I need to send a 100% anonymous whistleblowing email

[WhistBl]

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?

[quote HollowTalk]@amitoooldforthisshit Are you saying that a sheet of A4 that's got a message printed on it also contains data that can identify someone? That's interesting - do you have a link so I can read up on that?[/quote]
..........
better than a read up....the first bit of the vid he goes on about bricks as a joke ......but yea its real

The NHS is not MI5, they still use Windows 95, their IT is about 25 years out of date, nobody will have the skill, time, inclination or ability to trace your e-mail

Haha so true!

In seriousness though, if you're really worried use a TOR, although VPN is more than sufficient (some broadband providers change your IP anyway at set intervals, I think BT is every few hours). Irrelevant as you are emailing it, but they are never going to search everyone's home printers, they would need a warrant to demand it, and securing one for everyone it could potentially be would never be granted, some very imaginative scenarios here.

Google the trust which brought in handwriting experts to track down the person who sent a handwritten whistleblowing letter!

Nowadays handwriting is probably the least secure way to communicate if you want to remain anon, although it would be easy enough to use a spouse or friend and not touch the paper or envelope at all I guess. The postmark would likely be similar for a lot of people assuming a local to the hospital post box was used; and if they tried to align it with shifts it wouldn't be able to be proven as the collection times for postboxes in the same area can vary, and it could be delayed making it to the sorting office etc. I have just read the article and although it is certainly very creepy, was it partly driven by the fact they wrote directly to the relative? I'm not disputing the whistleblowing policy is not fit for purpose and people haven't been hounded out by it, but I guess the amount of effort applied to trying to trace the person depends in part probably by the recipients and content.

No advice to offer, but I just wanted to say well done for your bravery - very commendable. It gives me more faith in the NHS that there are people like you who are willing to do it despite the personal risk. I hope you find a way.

[quote littlepattilou]@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.[/quote]
Sorry but this is just so negative.

Whistleblowing is really important. Even if you are doubtful that anything concrete will be done, it's still important to continue to raise concerns about injustices and things that just should not happen.

If someone else raises that concern again in the future then HR have some previous evidence of the concern being raised, and each time it comes up they can add a piece to the puzzle.

If you stay silent then you only have yourself to blame.

@WhistBl

Someone sent an email about me, not whistle blowing but accusatory about covid rule breaking, but they're didn't realise its had valid legal reasons.

Work were really good about it and the IT department unofficially did some IT stuff to trace the person. It was from outside the organisation and therefore it was a personal thing, obviously someone didn't/doesn't like me!

But basically they did what you suggested and used a Gmail account.

If its 100 % legitimate whistle blowing you have nothing to fear and use your own private email. As long as you're following the whistle blowing procedure. If your emailing journalists it'd be better to set up a meeting rather than have anything on paper.

Fucking hate my shitty phone
they're didn't realise its had valid legal reasons

Should have been

they didn't realise I had valid legal reasons

They will not take anonymous stuff as serious as honest reporting. They will obviously look into it but unfortunately it doesn't tick the boxes as it could as in my case just be personal/inflammatory. You either want it to stop or not. So be 100% honest about your identity as it shows that you're not hiding anything.

Couldn't you go to the press? You can report anonymously to the guardian, for example.

An NHS Manager is probably hacking MNHQ at this very moment to get the OP’s details....

So this printer id: the dots don’t spell out “HP Deskjet serial no 112233445566 purchased at Curry’s Bromley and controlled by the app on Raining’s phone” then?

Make sure you do all this through Tor rather than google chrome or safari.

[quote DayBath]**@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.[/quote]
it's good to hear that the policy worked for one person in one Trust. Don't shoot the messenger though for all who have lived it not working. It's so not working that they've had to bring in a whistleblower support scheme to try to help, except that can often mean moving home because moving Trust means moving area
www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/whistleblowing/whistleblowers-support-scheme/

How are you getting on OP? Have you 'done the deed' yet?