A whistleblower is any person who reports fraud, misconduct, unsafe working conditions, or other violation of a U.S. law to the government, regulators, or the media. Often referred to as an “insider,” a whistleblower is typically an employee of a private or public organization, or the government, who has first-hand knowledge of an illegal activity. Whistleblowers can also be individuals who are not employees but have original information about a violation of law.
The information a whistleblower brings to authorities is generally new information of wrongdoing that would not have otherwise been known if it wasn’t for this person bringing it to light. Some whistleblowers in history have even been part of illegal schemes, and later decided to come forward with the truth.
Whistleblowers can obtain a reward anywhere between 15% and 30% of the sanctions recovered from a fraudster. The amount a whistleblower receives depends entirely on the quality and substantiality of evidence brought forward. For the maximum reward amount, successful whistleblower claims must contain credible, timely, and original information.
