What is financial fraud committed against the government?
Financial fraud against the government involves deceptive practices leading to financial losses for government programs. It includes misusing funds, making false claims, or engaging in fraudulent schemes. This can occur in government contracts, grants, loans, and assistance programs. Both individuals and companies can commit such fraud, deceiving the government with inaccurate information to gain financial benefits. Some common types of financial fraud against the government include:
SECURITIES (SEC) FRAUD
Whistleblowers disclose financial firms engaging in deceptive practices related to securities, resulting in losses for investors and the government.
Mortgage Fraud
Whistleblowers expose lenders who provide false information on mortgage applications to secure government-backed loans, causing financial harm to the government when loans default.
banking Fraud
Insiders uncover banks falsifying compliance with anti-money laundering regulations, allowing suspicious transactions to go unnoticed.
Fraudulent Government Contracts
Whistleblowers expose contractors inflating costs or providing substandard products and services under government contracts, leading to financial losses.
Tax FRAUD
Insiders report companies evading taxes by manipulating financial information, resulting in lost tax revenue for the government.
Student Loan FRAUD
Whistleblowers identify schools misrepresenting student eligibility for federal aid programs, causing improper disbursement of funds.
Government Grant FRAUD
Insiders expose organizations misrepresenting research outcomes or project results to secure government grants.
Environmental violations
Whistleblowers reveal companies providing false information about environmental compliance, causing financial harm due to non-compliance penalties.
Contracting FRAUD
Insiders disclose government contractors engaging in bid-rigging or colluding with competitors to manipulate contract bidding processes, resulting in improper awards.
What whistleblower programs are available to finance industry whistleblowers?
The federal government has instituted several programs that provide rewards to whistleblowers.
SEC Whistleblower Program
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) offers rewards to individuals who report violations of federal securities laws, including insider trading, accounting fraud, market manipulation, and other securities-related misconduct. Whistleblowers who provide original information that leads to successful enforcement actions resulting in monetary sanctions exceeding $1 million are eligible for rewards ranging from 10% to 30% of the funds collected by the SEC.
CFTC Whistleblower program
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) provides rewards to whistleblowers who report violations of the Commodity Exchange Act. Similar to the SEC program, individuals who provide original information that leads to enforcement actions resulting in monetary sanctions exceeding $1 million are eligible for rewards ranging from 10% to 30% of the collected funds.
IRS Whistleblower Program
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rewards whistleblowers who report significant tax evasion and fraud. If the collected proceeds are over $2 million, whistleblowers can receive rewards of 15% to 30% of the funds collected.
FIRREA Whistleblower Program
Under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA), whistleblowers who report fraud related to financial institutions can receive rewards if the government recovers monetary sanctions.
Bank Secrecy Act Whistleblower Program
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) offers rewards to individuals who provide information leading to enforcement actions related to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Protections
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act provides anti-retaliation protections for whistleblowers who report violations of securities laws, commodities laws, or certain financial regulations to the SEC or CFTC.
PRACTICE AREAS
Common TYPES OF Financial qui tam Fraud
- SEC Fraud
- Mortgage Fraud
- Healthcare Billing Fraud
- Fraudulent Government Contractors
- Tax Fraud
- Student Loan Fraud
- Government Grant Fraud
- Environmental Violations
- Contracting Fraud