Whistleblower Insider Blog

As States Look to Expand Health Coverage, State FCAs Become More Important than Ever

Posted 03/22/23

The increasing burden of healthcare costs has state governments looking at new programs to expand government healthcare options for their residents. Such an expansion of government spending will require a corresponding expansion of efforts to root out fraud, waste, and abuse that steals taxpayer dollars and reduces the benefits available. Existing anti-fraud measures, including state False Claims Acts, will play a...

Tagged in: FCA State, Government Programs Fraud, Healthcare Fraud, Medicaid, Medicare,

Healthcare Fraud Jury Verdict Demonstrates DOJ’s Commitment to Prosecuting Kickbacks

Posted 03/13/23

Very few cases ever filed reach jury trial. The vast majority are dismissed or settle long before that stage. This trend is particularly true for cases filed under the False Claims Act (FCA), where defendants face treble damages and penalties if they are found liable at trial. In FCA trials where the Government and/or whistleblower prevails, the judge, unbeknownst to the jury, is required to triple the amount of...

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, FCA Federal, Government Programs Fraud, Healthcare Fraud, Medicare,

Ontario Securities Commission Report on Successful First 5 Years of its Whistleblower Program shows $43M in Total Sanctions/Voluntary Payments Thanks to Whistleblowers

Posted 03/13/23

Constantine Cannon applauds the Ontario Securities Commission Whistleblower Program on a very positive update on its performance from 2016 to 2022. Constantine Cannon attorneys have been following the development of the OSC Whistleblower Program with interest from the beginning, and we are pleased to represent participating whistleblowers. The March 9, 2023 report highlights the success of the OSC Whistleblower...

Tagged in: International Whistleblowers, Whistleblower Rewards,

Top Ten Tax Enforcement Actions of 2022

Posted 02/8/23

Tax fraud can take many forms, but each form results in shortchanging government coffers. More seriously, with our tax system depending heavily on taxpayers’ willingness to voluntarily file tax returns and pay taxes, tax fraud undermines confidence in the system. Enforcement of tax laws builds confidence in the system, and deserves to be a law enforcement priority. The top tax recoveries in 2022 start with...

Tagged in: Abusive Tax Shelters, Cryptocurrency, Employment Tax Fraud, Financial and Investment Fraud, Tax Fraud, Top 10,

"Fraud by the Numbers" - Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Attorneys Contribute to Fraud Overview

Posted 02/8/23

Constantine Cannon attorneys Mary Inman and Elizabeth “Liz” Soltan worked on a 2022 Taxpayers Against Fraud article series called “Fraud by the Numbers,” which has now been released as a compilation. You can read the full report here. Taxpayers Against Fraud, a membership organization of whistleblower attorneys and others, is dedicated to defending and empowering whistleblowers who expose fraud on the...

Tagged in: CC Lawyers, Importance of Whistleblowers,

DOJ FY2022 Annual Fraud Report Shows $2.2 Billion in Total Recoveries, with $1.9 Billion Thanks to Whistleblowers - But There are Reasons for Concern

Posted 02/8/23

DOJ Headquarters building seen from low angle

The Department of Justice released its annual report of civil recoveries for fraud and false claims against the U.S., showing $2.2 billion in settlements and judgments for the fiscal year ending September 2022. The data released by DOJ show the critical role that whistleblowers play in securing these recoveries for the government: of the $2.2 billion recovered, $1.96 billion – 89% – was recovered in cases...

Tagged in: COVID-19, FCA Federal, Government Procurement Fraud, Healthcare Fraud, Importance of Whistleblowers, Statistics,

Top Ten Federal Financial and Healthcare Fraud Prison Sentences of 2022

Posted 02/2/23

Financial and healthcare fraud often can carry stiff monetary penalties for entities facing government enforcement, as shown on our other Top Ten Lists. Whistleblowers reporting wrongful conduct under one of the federal whistleblower reward laws sometimes find that criminal authorities are as interested in their allegations as civil enforcement agencies and authorities. Fraud can also result in criminal charges and...

Tagged in: Criminal Proceedings, Financial and Investment Fraud, Healthcare Fraud, Ponzi Schemes, Tax Fraud, Top 10, Visa Fraud,

Top Ten SEC and CFTC Recoveries of 2022

Posted 02/1/23

In 2022, the SEC and CFTC redoubled their efforts to preserve market integrity and shut down financial frauds. Both in size and composition, the agencies’ major recoveries look quite different from a year prior. 2021 was all about crypto, with four of the top ten recoveries relating to crypto offerings or exchanges. With the recent collapse of the crypto market—exposing some of the biggest frauds since the...

Tagged in: Accounting Fraud, Cryptocurrency, Financial and Investment Fraud, Fraud in CFTC-Regulated Markets, SEC Whistleblower Reward Program, Securities Fraud, Top 10,

Top Ten Whistleblower Awards of 2022

Posted 02/1/23

2022 was a big year for whistleblowers, who once again recouped billions of government dollars and in turn received hundreds of millions in whistleblower rewards. This year’s top rewards came from various government whistleblower programs, including the qui tam provisions of the federal False Claims Act, various state False Claims Act programs, and the Dodd-Frank SEC Whistleblower Program. Below is a...

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Importance of Whistleblowers, SEC Whistleblower Reward Program, Top 10, Whistleblower Rewards,

Top Ten Federal Financial Fraud Recoveries of 2022

Posted 02/1/23

Federal enforcement of financial fraud takes many forms. This year, thanks to positive developments in the world of money-laundering enforcement, we have expanded our Top Ten Lists related to federal financial fraud. In addition to documenting SEC and CFTC enforcement actions, FCPA enforcement, and money-laundering enforcement, the following list focuses on financial fraud in other realms. The Consumer Financial...

Tagged in: Financial and Investment Fraud, Financial Institution Fraud, Top 10,

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