When an employee, former employee, or someone else with evidence of fraud reports a company or individual for violations of the False Claims Act, they are considered whistleblowers and are essential in fighting against fraud. In addition to shedding light on individuals and businesses who steal federal funds, whistleblowers also help protect taxpayers who fund the government. Individuals with evidence of fraud could be eligible to receive a significant whistleblower reward if their qui tam case is successful.
The attorneys of Tycko & Zavareei LLP handle all types of qui tam cases and have a track record of success in helping whistleblowers nationwide uncover large amounts of fraud. If you have evidence of fraud against the government, contact an Austin whistleblower lawyer today for a free and confidential case review.
What is the False Claims Act?
The federal False Claims Act (FCA) along with state whistleblower laws like the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act give private individuals with evidence of fraud the ability to file a lawsuit on behalf of the government. These individuals, referred to as whistleblowers or qui tam relators, have the right to bring a qui tam lawsuit on behalf of the government against the perpetrator that is defrauding federal funds. The FCA rewards whistleblowers who report fraud by giving them a portion of any financial recovery that is made.
What Are Examples of Fraud?
The FCA applies to all forms of fraud against the government. Any time a business entity or individual seeks to obtain undue money from a federally-funded government program, it is considered a violation of the FCA. Offenders may seek undue funds by misrepresenting information or submitting false or misleading claims. Fraud takes place in almost every industry that works with government contracts or government programs. Common types of fraud seen in Austin whistleblower lawsuits include:
- Healthcare fraud: Fraud against government-funded healthcare programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and TRICARE. Healthcare fraud costs the US government and taxpayers close to $100 billion each year. Types of healthcare fraud in FCA lawsuits include billing for services that are unnecessary or that were not provided, overbilling, double billing, accepting kickbacks, and nursing home fraud.
- Government contracts fraud: The government contracts private business in many industries, including defense, construction, and technology, to provide a range of goods and services. Examples of government contract fraud include making false statements to obtain a contract, misrepresenting the cost or duration of a project, offering kickbacks in order to receive a government contract, and more.
- Securities, commodities, and banking fraud: Fraud involving housing, mortgages and other lending, banking, trading, and commodities fall under securities, commodities, and banking fraud. Depending on the facts of the case, it may fall under four different whistleblower programs: the FCA, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Whistleblower Program, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Whistleblower Reward Program, or the Bank Fraud Whistleblower Program.
- Customs and tariffs fraud: Customs and tariffs fraud refers to importers cheating the number of customs duties paid when bringing items into the country. This may include misclassification or undervaluing of goods, evading tariffs, and more.
- Tax fraud: Tax fraud includes tax evasion, underreporting income, overclaiming deductions, illegal tax havens, and more. Whistleblowers who report tax fraud may qualify for a financial reward under the IRS Whistleblower Program.
How Are Austin Whistleblowers Rewarded and Protected?
The FCA and many other whistleblower programs encourage individuals to report fraud by promising between 15 and 30 percent of what is recovered through the qui tam lawsuit as a whistleblower reward. Because many employees avoid reporting evidence of fraud out of fear of retaliation by their employer, the FCA also offers whistleblowers protection from employer retaliation.
Types of retaliation that are prohibited under the FCA include being suspended, demoted, fired, threatened, harassed, or discriminated against for any type of whistleblower action. Whistleblowers may qualify to file a separate claim against their employer if they are retaliated against after reporting fraud.
What is the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act?
The Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act (TMFPA) is similar to the federal FCA but only pertains to fraud against Texas’s state Medicaid program. Like the federal FCA, the TMFPA allows whistleblowers to share in any recovery made and also protects them from employer retaliation.
How Can an Austin Whistleblower Attorney Help Me?
Qui tam lawsuits are complex and require specific filing requirements and deadlines. A qui tam law firm can help ensure your claim is filed correctly and that your case is strong with well-documented evidence in order to persuade the government to take on your case. This can increase the chance of receiving a significant financial reward. An Austin qui tam attorney can also protect you from retaliation and advocate on your behalf in order to secure the largest potential whistleblower reward possible.
Call an Austin Whistleblower Attorney Today
The qui tam attorneys of Tycko & Zavareei LLP have recovered over $7 billion in defrauded government funds from companies and individuals that break the law and commit fraud. We have decades of experience working in qui tam law, both as government prosecutors and in private practice. Our qui tam lawyers have represented over 100 whistleblowers across the US and have helped them secure significant whistleblower awards, with some whistleblowers receiving multi-million dollar rewards. If you have evidence of a company or individual defrauding federal funds or otherwise violating the FCA, contact an Austin whistleblower lawyer today for a free consultation.
