Housing and Mortgage Fraud Topics - Behn & Wyetzner, Chartered

Qui Tam Whistleblower Recoveries | Behn & Wyetzner More than $30 billion has been recovered in Federal civil actions under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) since the statute which originated in the Civil War era, was amended in 1986 to provide enhanced rewards and protections for qui tam whistleblowers.

In fiscal year 2014, $5.69 billion in fraud against the government was recovered for taxpayers. Most of these cases were brought by qui tam relators, whistleblowers who come forward with their qui tam attorneys to report alleged fraud, and can receive 15-to-25 percent of the recoveries. This was another record year for Federal False Claims Act recoveries, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Without qui tam whistleblowers, billions of dollars of fraud payments or demands for payment hidden from the Government would have gone unnoticed. This stolen money would have remained in the pockets of individuals and entities responsible for the frauds, but courageous whistleblowers stepped up to return defrauded dollars to the U.S. Treasury and, as a result, shared in those recoveries.

Record Recoveries for DOJ in 2014 | Behn & Wyetzner The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that it has collected a record $5.69 billion in settlements involving fraud and false claims against the government for fiscal year 2014. The largest recoveries were in mortgage fraud and healthcare fraud, where the government obtained $3.1 billion and $2.3 billion respectively. Recoveries in qui tam whistleblower cases (actions brought by a whistleblower, known as a relator) totaled nearly $3 billion.

“It has been an extraordinary year for civil fraud recoveries, but the true significance is not in breaking records or making history; it is in the billions of dollars restored to the federal treasury,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Joyce Branda.

Billions in Recoveries For Qui Tam Whistleblowers

Department of Justice Announces Record Amount Recovered in 2014