Whistleblowing is the act of informing the government of evidence of fraud or abuse. Most people provide this information for reasons beyond patriotism or their desire to do the right thing. In many situations, a monetary award is available if the information leads to some kind of enforcement action.
If you have questions about how whistleblowing works in Columbia, now is the right time to ask. An experienced whistleblower attorney could review your information and advise on whether there are grounds to seek an award.
In the United States, the most common way to serve as a whistleblower and cooperate with fraud investigations is through the False Claims Act. This federal statute provides the opportunity to earn a financial reward to anyone who offers information about fraudulent practices or claims involving the government.
When these efforts result in criminal convictions or administrative penalties, the whistleblower may be entitled to a portion of anything recovered along the way. In addition to the False Claims Act, there are two other common ways to serve as a whistleblower. This includes reporting evidence of tax fraud to the IRS or various financial crimes through the Dodd-Frank Act.
Each of these programs has its own process, but the general approach requires a whistleblower to submit evidence of wrongdoing to the appropriate government entity. If those details lead to results, there is a legal process that allows the whistleblower to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation for their assistance.
Regardless of the program, the number of individuals who can recover an award by submitting evidence of fraudulent claims is limited. One way whistleblowing works in Columbia is that certain individuals are always prohibited from recovering an award.
Anyone can provide the government with evidence of fraud at any time. However, certain parties are not eligible for compensation regardless of whether they help or not. This starts with members of law enforcement who are already legally obligated to report acts of wrongdoing.
There is also a prohibition on co-conspirators benefiting from their own fraud by reporting it. A person who is involved in committing a fraudulent act cannot profit from it by acting as a whistleblower later. Finally, awards are only offered in cases where the information is new to the agency in question, and it must lead to a conviction or other action.
Everyone has their reasons for turning over evidence of fraud to the government. In some cases, the desire to do the right thing may be enough to act. In others, providing this information might be an effort to distance themselves from fraudulent behavior within their own company.
Acting as a whistleblower in many situations also has financial benefits. One way whistleblowing in Columbia works is by providing a monetary award in the form of a percentage of the money recovered by the authorities. That means the government must recover some form of restitution for there to be a payout.
If you believe you have information regarding fraud or misuse of government funds, now is the time to speak to a lawyer. If you have questions about how whistleblowing works in Columbia, reach out right away to learn more.
