📢 Whistleblower Awards

Legal programs that reward individuals who report fraud, securities violations, or regulatory breaches. Browse 22 active opportunities below.

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Whistleblower programs at the IRS, SEC, CFTC, FCPA, and other federal agencies pay mandatory cash awards to individuals who report fraud, tax evasion, securities violations, and regulatory breaches. Unlike voluntary tip programs, these awards are legally required once a successful enforcement action collects money. The SEC Whistleblower Program has paid over $1.9 billion to more than 400 individuals since its launch in 2011, with individual awards ranging from $50,000 to over $279 million — the largest single award in the program's history. Awards are calculated as 10–30% of the sanctions collected.

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Whistleblower Awards (22 active)

U.S. Customs Informant Award (19 U.S.C. 1619) $250,000

U.S. Customs and Border Protection may pay informants up to 25% of duties, fines, penalties, or forfeitures recovered — capped at $250,000 — for original inform…

Whistleblower National

DOD Inspector General — Defense Contractor Fraud Whistleblower Program False Claims Act qui tam: 15–30% of government recovery. DOD FCA cases routinely result in $10M–$500M recoveries. DOD IG also protects against retaliation.

The Department of Defense Inspector General (DOD IG) investigates fraud, waste, and abuse in defense contracting, procurement, and military programs. Tips from

Whistleblower National

EPA Whistleblower — Environmental Violation Reporting & Retaliation Claims Retaliation remedies include reinstatement, back pay, and compensatory damages. False Claims Act qui tam suits (15–30%) may apply when environmental fraud involves federal contracts.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accepts tips about violations of federal environmental laws — illegal dumping, air and water pollution, illegal pestic…

Whistleblower National

NRC Whistleblower — Nuclear Safety Violations Reporting & Retaliation Protection Retaliation damages up to $250,000 (compensatory) + reinstatement + back pay. NRC safety violation tips may lead to DOJ prosecution and qui tam FCA suits.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) investigates reports of nuclear safety violations at US nuclear power plants, research reactors, fuel facilities, and me…

Whistleblower National

OCC Whistleblower Program — National Bank & Federal Thrift Fraud Rewards No direct OCC award — tips may be shared with SEC or DOJ for formal award consideration. Enforcement actions have resulted in $1B+ bank penalties with consumer relief.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) supervises all national banks and federal savings associations. The OCC accepts tips about fraud, unsafe ban…

Whistleblower National

CFPB Whistleblower Program — Consumer Financial Protection Rewards No fixed award amount — CFPB shares tips with SEC, DOJ, and FTC who may pay awards. Consumer relief from CFPB actions has exceeded $20 billion total.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) accepts tips about financial companies violating consumer protection laws — predatory lending, deceptive debt co…

Whistleblower National

FinCEN / AMLA Whistleblower Program — Anti-Money Laundering Rewards 10–30% of monetary sanctions collected when sanctions exceed $1 million. Program covers BSA violations, OFAC sanctions evasion, and anti-money laundering failures.

The Anti-Money Laundering Whistleblower Improvement Act of 2022 created a new federal whistleblower program administered by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Net…

Whistleblower National

Department of Labor — Worker Whistleblower Retaliation Claims Back wages recovered + reinstatement + compensatory damages. No upfront cost to file.

The Department of Labor investigates claims by workers who faced retaliation for reporting wage theft, OSHA violations, ERISA violations, FMLA violations, or ot…

Whistleblower National

OSHA Whistleblower Protection Programs Remedies include reinstatement, back pay, compensatory damages (up to $250,000 in some statutes), and attorney fee recovery.

OSHA administers 25+ whistleblower protection statutes covering workers who report workplace safety violations, environmental violations, securities fraud, airl…

Whistleblower National

False Claims Act — Qui Tam Whistleblower Lawsuit 15–30% of government recovery. Major cases have resulted in awards of $100M+.

The False Claims Act allows private citizens ("relators") to file lawsuits on behalf of the US government against contractors or individuals defrauding the fede…

Whistleblower National

IRS Whistleblower Program 15–30% of tax underpayment collected when dispute exceeds $2M. Smaller cases eligible for up to 15% discretionary award.

The IRS Whistleblower Office pays awards to people who report tax underpayments or tax fraud. For cases where the amount in dispute exceeds $2 million, informan…

Whistleblower National

CFTC Whistleblower Program 10–30% of CFTC sanctions collected (over $1M threshold). Awards have exceeded $200 million for a single individual.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Whistleblower Program awards between 10% and 30% of monetary sanctions in CFTC actions where the sanctions excee…

Whistleblower National

SEC Whistleblower Program 10–30% of SEC sanctions collected (over $1M threshold). Single awards have exceeded $114 million.

The SEC Whistleblower Program pays monetary awards to eligible individuals who voluntarily provide original information about a possible violation of the federa…

Whistleblower National

Ship Pollution Whistleblower Reward (APPS) Up to 50% of criminal fines

Under the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, courts may award whistleblowers up to 50% of criminal fines for reporting illegal ocean dumping by vessels — awar…

Whistleblower National

California False Claims Act (Qui Tam) 15–33% of state/local recovery

California's False Claims Act allows whistleblowers to sue on behalf of state and local governments for fraud and share 15–33% of amounts recovered.

Whistleblower California

New York False Claims Act (Qui Tam) 15–30% of state recovery

New York's False Claims Act lets private citizens (relators) sue on behalf of the state for fraud against government programs — uniquely including state tax fra…

Whistleblower New York

NHTSA Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Up to 30% of penalties

Auto-industry employees/contractors can report safety defects and reporting violations for up to 30% of resulting penalties over $1M.

Whistleblower National

FinCEN AML Whistleblower Program 10–30% of sanctions over $1M

Report money laundering or sanctions violations. Awards of 10–30% of monetary sanctions when penalties exceed $1M.

Whistleblower National

DOJ False Claims Act (Qui Tam) 15–30% of government recovery

Sue on behalf of the government for fraud against federal programs (healthcare, defense, contracts). Relators receive 15–30% of recovered funds.

Whistleblower National

CFTC Whistleblower Program 10–30% of sanctions over $1M

Report commodities/derivatives fraud and manipulation to the CFTC. Awards of 10–30% of sanctions over $1M.

Whistleblower National

SEC Whistleblower Program 10–30% of sanctions over $1M

Report securities-law violations (fraud, insider trading, FCPA). Awards of 10–30% of monetary sanctions when penalties exceed $1M.

Whistleblower National

IRS Whistleblower Office (Form 211) 15–30% of collected proceeds

Report major tax underpayment or fraud. If the IRS collects based on your info (disputes over $2M), you can receive 15–30% of the amount recovered.

Whistleblower National

How to file a whistleblower claim

Consult with a whistleblower attorney before filing. Most attorneys who specialize in whistleblower cases work on contingency (no upfront fee) and can significantly increase your chances of a successful claim.
Identify the appropriate agency for your report. IRS handles tax fraud; SEC handles securities and investment fraud; CFTC handles commodities and derivatives fraud; FinCEN handles money laundering; the HHS OIG handles Medicare/Medicaid fraud.
Gather and preserve evidence. Contemporaneous documentation — emails, financial records, internal reports — strengthens a claim substantially. Never take documents that are legally protected or that you don't have authorized access to.
Submit your claim using the agency's official form. For the SEC, this is Form TCR (Tip, Complaint, Referral) filed through the online portal at sec.gov/whistleblower. For the IRS, use Form 211.
Cooperate with investigators. The agency may contact you for follow-up information. Maintain confidentiality about your submission during the investigation.
Receive your award after the enforcement action is completed and sanctions are collected, which can take 1–5 years for complex cases. You will be notified of the preliminary award determination and have the right to appeal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I receive from an IRS whistleblower award?+

The IRS Whistleblower Program pays 15–30% of the amount the IRS collects from a person or entity you report for underpaying taxes. The minimum threshold is $2 million in unpaid taxes. Awards are paid only after the IRS actually collects the money, which can take several years. The largest single IRS whistleblower award was over $100 million.

Am I protected from retaliation for whistleblowing?+

Federal law provides significant anti-retaliation protections for whistleblowers who report to the SEC, IRS, CFTC, and other agencies. Employers cannot fire, demote, harass, or otherwise retaliate against employees who make good-faith reports. If you experience retaliation, you may be entitled to reinstatement, back pay, and damages.

Can I file a whistleblower claim anonymously?+

The SEC allows anonymous submissions through a whistleblower attorney. Your identity is protected during the investigation. However, to receive an award, your identity must eventually be disclosed to the agency (though not to the public or your employer). The IRS does not allow fully anonymous claims but keeps submissions confidential.

What qualifies as a whistleblower tip for the SEC?+

Tips that qualify include: securities fraud, accounting fraud, Ponzi schemes, insider trading, market manipulation, FCPA violations (foreign bribery), and false statements to the SEC. Tips about violations you learned through your job, professional services, or personal observation all qualify. You do not need to be an employee of the company you're reporting.

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