Whistleblower Insider Blog

Fraud in Government Telehealth Programs: How to Report it Under the False Claims Act for a Whistleblower Reward

Posted 09/4/19

When patients are unable to see a doctor in person, technology can offer solutions. Telehealth or telemedicine is the provision of health services – including assessment, diagnosis, intervention, consultation, or supervision – across distance through the use of information technology. It can be especially valuable in rural areas, where specialty providers may not be available. And its use has grown...

Tagged in: FCA Federal, Healthcare Fraud, Importance of Whistleblowers, Provider Fraud, Whistleblower Eligibility,

Deutsche Bank Pays More than $16M to Settle SEC Charges of FCPA Violations

Posted 08/30/19

Last week, the SEC announced that German-based banking giant Deutsche Bank agreed to pay more than $16 million to settle charges it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by hiring relatives of foreign officials in China and Russia to get investment banking business. See SEC Press Release. According to the SEC’s order, these so-called "referral hires" bypassed the bank's merit-based hiring process and...

Tagged in: FCPA, Importance of Whistleblowers, SEC Whistleblower Reward Program, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Eligibility, Whistleblower Rewards,

Question of the Week — Is the use of public nuisance law against J&J for its role in the opioid crisis appropriate?

Posted 08/29/19

The landmark $572M opioid verdict in Oklahoma against Johnson & Johnson stemmed from a single claim: “public nuisance” under state law. Other cases against opioid manufacturers, including whistleblower cases, involve claims for fraud, unlawful marketing, improper prescriptions, kickbacks, violating the Controlled Substances Act by failing to report suspicious purchases, and even flooding the black market. But...

Tagged in: Court Decision, Defendants, Healthcare Fraud, Importance of Whistleblowers, Lack of Medical Necessity, Off-Label and Unapproved Use, Pharma Fraud, Question of the Week, Whistleblower Case,

Is Data the Future of Whistleblowing?

Posted 08/28/19

Two recent decisions, one in California and the other in Texas, might be signaling a new frontier in False Claims Act (FCA) litigation: the data-driven whistleblower. Both cases are brought by the same whistleblower, Integra. Integra is not a typical whistleblower, which are generally corporate insiders or other employees of a company that is accused of defrauding the government. Instead, Integra is a corporation that...

Tagged in: FCA Federal, FCA State, Hospital Fraud, Importance of Whistleblowers, Medical Billing Fraud, Medicare, Public Disclosure and Public Information, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Eligibility,

Catch of the Week — American Airlines Required to Pay Over $22 Million for Falsely Reporting Delivery Times

Posted 08/23/19

Ever wondered why a package you were desperately waiting for showed up late? Ever wished you could hold those responsible accountable for it? If so, the U.S. government agrees with you. Its recent settlement against American Airlines required the airline to pay over $22 million for allegedly falsely reporting its delivery times. The resolution shows that timeliness matters and is yet another reminder that...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, Contract Non-Compliance, FCA Federal, FCA State, Government Procurement Fraud, Importance of Whistleblowers,

Promising Changes to IRS Whistleblower Program – Tax Whistleblowers Now Protected Against Retaliation and Improved Communication when Reporting Tax Violations

Posted 08/21/19
By Michael Ronickher, Carolina Gonzalez

Recent legislation marks a potential huge step forward for the IRS Whistleblower Program, which offers rewards of 15 to 30% of government recoveries to whistleblowers who report tax avoidance. The Taxpayer First Act (TFA), which came into force on July 1, 2019 introduced key reforms that should benefit whistleblowers reporting tax evasion and underreporting. A few months ago, the IRS Whistleblower Office released...

Tagged in: Importance of Whistleblowers, IRS Whistleblower Reward Program, Statistics, Tax Fraud, Whistleblower Case, Whistleblower Eligibility,

Question of the Week — Should Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) be allowed to deny patients access to essential life-saving drugs prescribed by their doctor?

Posted 08/19/19

As described in a recent article in The Fresno Bee, thousands of patients nation-wide have been denied access to essential life-saving medications by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) under the guise of ensuring that patients receive the most appropriate and cost-effective treatment. PBMs are the quintessential “middlemen” in the healthcare system, standing between patients and their physicians on one side, and...

Tagged in: Pharma Fraud, Question of the Week,

Catch of the Week — Yukom Communications and Others Face CFTC Claims of Binary Options Fraud

Posted 08/16/19

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed suit against five entities and four individuals on August 12, 2019, in the Northern District of Illinois for running a $103 million fraudulent binary options scheme. The defendants, led by Israeli company Yukom Communications Ltd.,which marketed binary options using two websites known as BinaryBook and BigOption. In recent years, the CFTC has targeted fraudulent binary...

Tagged in: Catch of the Week, Financial and Investment Fraud, Fraud in CFTC-Regulated Markets, Market Manipulation and Trading Violations, Misrepresentations,

Tech Whistleblowers Needed: Inquire Within

Posted 08/16/19

Facebook, Google, Samsung, Microsoft – we rely on large tech companies to safeguard our privacy and time and again they let us down. Yet tech companies are known to be highly selective employers, hiring the best and brightest and often paying better than companies in other industries. So how is it that they remain vulnerable to data breaches with such talent at their disposal? Cisco whistleblower James Glenn has...

Tagged in: CC Lawyers, Contract Non-Compliance, Cybersecurity and Data Breaches, FCA Federal, FCA State, Government Procurement Fraud, Importance of Whistleblowers, International Whistleblowers,

Whistleblower Suit Revived by Third Circuit Despite Settlement in Related State Court Action

Posted 08/13/19

Judge's bench with empty chair and gavel

In United States ex rel. Jean Charte v. American Tutor, Inc., the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed dismissal of a whistleblower’s qui tam action under the False Claims Act, giving the whistleblower the right to pursue her claims. The district court had dismissed the action under state law res judicata principals, because the relator had settled a defamation action brought in state court against her by...

Tagged in: Confidentiality and The Seal, Court Decision, Education Fraud, FCA Federal, FCA State, Government Decision, Whistleblower Case,

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Fraud in Government Telehealth Programs: How to Report it Under the False Claims Act for a Whistleblower Reward

Deutsche Bank Pays More than $16M to Settle SEC Charges of FCPA Violations

Question of the Week — Is the use of public nuisance law against J&J for its role in the opioid crisis appropriate?

Is Data the Future of Whistleblowing?

Catch of the Week — American Airlines Required to Pay Over $22 Million for Falsely Reporting Delivery Times

Promising Changes to IRS Whistleblower Program – Tax Whistleblowers Now Protected Against Retaliation and Improved Communication when Reporting Tax Violations

Question of the Week — Should Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) be allowed to deny patients access to essential life-saving drugs prescribed by their doctor?

Catch of the Week — Yukom Communications and Others Face CFTC Claims of Binary Options Fraud

Tech Whistleblowers Needed: Inquire Within

Whistleblower Suit Revived by Third Circuit Despite Settlement in Related State Court Action

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Whistleblower Insider Blog

Fraud in Government Telehealth Programs: How to Report it Under the False Claims Act for a Whistleblower Reward

Deutsche Bank Pays More than $16M to Settle SEC Charges of FCPA Violations

Question of the Week — Is the use of public nuisance law against J&J for its role in the opioid crisis appropriate?

Is Data the Future of Whistleblowing?

Catch of the Week — American Airlines Required to Pay Over $22 Million for Falsely Reporting Delivery Times

Promising Changes to IRS Whistleblower Program – Tax Whistleblowers Now Protected Against Retaliation and Improved Communication when Reporting Tax Violations

Question of the Week — Should Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) be allowed to deny patients access to essential life-saving drugs prescribed by their doctor?

Catch of the Week — Yukom Communications and Others Face CFTC Claims of Binary Options Fraud

Tech Whistleblowers Needed: Inquire Within

Whistleblower Suit Revived by Third Circuit Despite Settlement in Related State Court Action

Learn about Whistleblower Rewards Programs

Newsletter

Subscribe to receive email updates from the Constantine Cannon blogs

Sign up for: