Whistleblower Insider Blog

More Cybercriminals Pay Steep Price for Running Crypto Scams and Laundering Cash

The government has already ramped up its efforts in 2025 to tackle cryptocurrency fraud and associated money laundering schemes with several recent enforcement actions. Cybercriminals exploit digital currency investment hopefuls. Their scams come in myriad forms such as ransomware attacks and virtual currency thefts, and the criminals use complex tactics to conceal their crimes to fuel their stolen profits. As...

Top 10 False Claims Act Recoveries for 2024

It was another big year of recoveries under the False Claims Act, the government's primary enforcement tool to combat fraud.  And as usual, whistleblowers paved the way by originating the bulk of the actions that led to these recoveries. As the Department of Justice (DOJ) just reported in its annual roundup of False Claims Act successes, the government and whistleblowers recovered roughly $2.9 billion this past...

DOJ's False Claims Act Roundup for FY 2024 -- Another Banner Year for the Government and Whistleblowers

The Department of Justice (DOJ) just released its False Claims Act results for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024.  By all accounts, it has been another banner year for whistleblowers and the government in their efforts to combat fraud and recover pilfered taxpayer dollars. First, the overarching numbers for the year:

• • The government and whistleblowers recovered roughly $2.9 billion in False...

In Their Own Words… Attorney General Nominee Pam Bondi

“The False Claims Act is so important… I would defend the constitutionality… of the False Claims Act.” On January 15, 2025, Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi attended her Senate confirmation hearing and answered questions from Senator Chuck Grassley, who has demonstrated unwavering support for the False Claims Act. In response to questions about her commitment to the FCA, Bondi shared her perspective on...

Is “AI Washing” the New “Greenwashing”? Government Enforcers Crack Down on New(ish) Ways of Defrauding Investors

A key part of the job for whistleblower lawyers and government enforcers is fitting new facts to existing precedent.  Despite fraudsters deploying what appear to be new and innovative ways to illicitly obtain government or investor funds, the crux of the scheme is often the same decade after decade.  As the famous Yogi-ism goes, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” Take “AI washing,” for instance.  AI...

A $1B+ Fraud Conspiracy: Yvette Wang Sentenced To 10 Years in Prison

Federal prosecutors continue the crack down on fraudsters that prey on innocent investors. On January 6, Daniel M. Gitner, Chief, Criminal Division, in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, announced that Yvette Wang a/k/a “Yanping” was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to Wang’s prison...

Scientific Research Misconduct: Athira Pharma Inc. Will Pay $4M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Athira Pharma Inc., a Bothwell, Washington-based, clinical stage bio-pharmaceutical company, will pay $4,068,698 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. It failed to report claims of research misconduct to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Research Integrity when filling out grant applications and grant award progress...

Healthcare Providers and Marketers Will Pay $1.1M to Settle Laboratory Kickback Allegations

In January 2025, the government announced that lab marketers, physicians and their associated entities have agreed to pay $1,137,914 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they participated in laboratory kickback schemes in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. The parties involved include physicians Dr. Abbesalom Ghermay (from Plano, Texas); Dr. Daniel Theesfeld (from Longview, Texas) and his medical...

Independent Health to Pay $98M to Resolve Medicare Advantage Fraud Allegations

On December 29, 2024, the government announced that Buffalo, New York’s Independent Health Association and Independent Health Corporation (collectively known as Independent Health) have agreed to pay up to $98 million to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting, or causing the submission of, invalid diagnosis codes to Medicare for Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees. Constantine Cannon

Booz Allen Pays $15.875M to Settle False Claims Act, Procurement Allegations

Booz Allen closed out 2024 by agreeing to pay $15,875,000 to settle allegations that one of its subsidiaries, Booz Allen Hamilton Engineering Services LLC (BES), violated the False Claims Act by engaging misconduct in connection with the government's procurement process. The FCA allegations centered around BES claims for payment related to a “General Service Administration (GSA) task order to supply computer...