Today, the Justice Department and the National Fraud Enforcement Division announced the creation of the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP), the first ever whistleblower rewards program that pays an up-front award for tips leading to criminal charges.
“Protecting the American people from fraud remains a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) offers everyone the opportunity to be part of the solution, help expose fraud, and be rewarded quickly for their efforts. I urge all Americans to use this program and play an active role in bringing fraudsters to justice.”
“The Fraud Division was built to strike at the heart of fraud schemes, dismantling them and bringing criminals to justice faster than ever before,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The creation of the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) is exactly the kind of new and innovative tool we are bringing to the fight against fraud. This groundbreaking program will enlist the public as part of the fraud-fighting apparatus and reward them quickly for helping the country in the war on fraud.”
On October 1, Assistant Attorney General McDonald issued Directive 26-12: Corporate Enforcement in the Fight Against Fraud and directed Division leadership, in consultation with law enforcement partners, to design and implement policies and programs that appropriately incentivize whistleblowers to bring forward credible information pertaining to fraud and provide the public with transparency to the extent possible regarding those policies and programs. Only nineteen days later, the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) is being announced to solve a critical gap in existing whistleblower programs.
The Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) will pay whistleblowers an award of $10,000 to $30,000 for information leading to criminal charges relating to certain subject areas. While most existing Government whistleblower rewards programs issue awards only after the final resolution of a criminal matter, including the forfeiture and appeals process, the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) rewards whistleblowers at a much earlier stage of prosecution. Such early-stage rewards encourage prompt disclosure of information by giving whistleblowers more certainty about the amount and timing of a possible reward payment, while still leaving whistleblowers eligible for potentially larger rewards should their tips ultimately lead to large financial penalties or forfeiture. This new framework gives whistleblowers much-needed certainty and speed, and will incentivize citizens who are aware of fraud to report it.
The Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) offers rewards for information relating to Federal health care offenses and related crimes, and fraud on government programs and benefits administered by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Education, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of War, and the Small Business Administration. For fraud involving health care offenses, the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) will prioritize submissions involving hospice, home health care, day care, and special services fraud.
Members of the public can report fraud by going to america.gov/fraud . Participants in the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) remain eligible for additional awards through other rewards programs, including the Criminal Division’s Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program.
The Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) terms and conditions are available at www.justice.gov/fraud/whistleblower . Awards will be made in the Justice Department’s sole discretion following the filing of criminal charges. The Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP) is the latest crime-fighting tool implemented by the Fraud Division. The Department of the Treasury is committing $25 million to ensure the program’s successful implementation.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.