Who can be a whistleblower? What are whistleblowers and what does becoming one mean? These are common questions employees wonder when they discover that their company is doing something wrong. Whistleblowers speak up about fraud and corruption, and can help the government recover misspent or stolen funds.
Becoming a whistleblower is an important decision, and one that is never taken lightly. Telling the truth about corruption can help save money and even lives, but it may involve sharing information that can get supervisors, peers, and corporate interests into trouble.
A whistleblower is a person who has inside information that allows them to report on past or ongoing fraud and corruption. The information that they share must be unique, previously undisclosed, and valuable to an overall recovery in order to qualify them as a protected whistleblower.
You do not have to work at a company in order to blow the whistle on fraud. Sometimes, competitors may be able to report fraud, price-fixing, or bid-rigging due to their insider knowledge. Nor do you have to be an American citizen in order to qualify for protections and rewards under federal whistleblower laws.
A whistleblower may be able to remain anonymous throughout the investigation and sometimes longer depending on the type of case if they make their disclosure to a qui tam lawyer or whistleblower law firm. In these cases, the law firm will...
Over the last year, beyond traditional healthcare and federal procurement matters, the government has pursued federal False Claims Act (FCA) investigations and enforcement across high-risk areas, i...