Fraud against the government is sometimes viewed as a victimless crime. People may assume that since the government is a large entity, fraud committed against it will not affect individual citizens. However, this could not be further from the truth. Government fraud affects individual citizens in a trickle-down manner. When people defraud the government, especially vital government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, it leads to there not being enough resources to care for all of the citizens who need those programs.
How can individuals help stop fraud? By not staying quiet when they see it. Reporting fraud to the proper authorities is called being a whistleblower, and anyone can do it if they have sufficient reasons and evidence to back their claim.
If you have knowledge of fraud that has or is currently being committed against the government, contact our whistleblower lawyers in Missouri for a confidential consultation to see if you may be eligible for a financial reward for speaking up.
Government Fraud Defined
What constitutes fraud against the government? It is loosely defined as any action which deliberately misrepresents information in order to avoid payment or gain funds or benefits from the government. In other words, if a company or individual is aware that it does not qualify for a particular benefit or payout from the government and they submit a false claim to receive it anyways, that is fraud.
Fraud can happen in a multitude of ways. It can come in the form of submitting fake documents, purposely using incorrect healthcare billing codes, not submitting certain forms or tax returns, and more. To be considered fraud, an action must have been made with the intent of abusing the system.
Types of Fraud Commonly Committed Against the Government
There are several different ways in which someone can defraud the government, and each one indirectly affects the lives of everyday American citizens. Here are a few of the more common types of fraud against the U.S. government:
- Tax fraud. Tax fraud is one of the most well-known types of fraud. Deliberately misrepresenting income on a tax return, illegally using offshore trusts, and committing similar violations to evade taxes is a crime.
- Healthcare fraud. Healthcare fraud often targets government-funded healthcare programs such as Medicare or Medicaid. Some examples of healthcare fraud include double billing, ordering medically unnecessary services, and engaging in kickback schemes in which a doctor or healthcare facility accepts bribes from a pharmaceutical company in exchange for prescribing certain medications.
Healthcare fraud can do serious harm to both government programs and patients, and whistleblowers play a big part in putting a stop to it. When you are ready to speak up, Tycko & Zavareei LLP’s expert Missouri whistleblower lawyers are ready to step in.
Who are Missouri Whistleblowers and Why are They Important?
When it comes to discovering and prosecuting fraud, whistleblowers are the most important asset that the federal and state governments have. A whistleblower is not necessarily an executive at a company—in fact, whistleblowers are often just normal people doing their jobs. People who are “on the ground,” so to speak, are the best resource when attempting to prosecute fraud cases.
For example, a woman who works in accounting at a large company may be responsible for preparing tax documents and approving some expenses as well. If this person were to begin noticing discrepancies in tax documents and what she has been approving throughout the year, this may raise a red flag for her. She may notice purchases being written off without receipts, missing payroll documents, and other things that are out of place, and begin to suspect that the company may be complicit in tax fraud. Whether the company faces any consequences for fraud may depend on her disclosing what she knows to a qualified Missouri whistleblower lawyer.
Anonymity and Rewards for Missouri Whistleblowers
One thing that stops people from voicing their concerns about fraud is the fear of retaliation. Employees may fear being demoted or taking a pay cut, being transferred, or even facing termination if anyone finds out who reported the company. Not only is retaliation illegal, but whistleblowers are also given certain protections under the False Claims Act.
The False Claims Act is a federal law that defines how the government engages with whistleblowers. It was enacted to encourage people with information about fraud against the government to come forward. Under this law, whistleblowers’ identities are protected, partly by shielding them behind a lawyer who files all actions on their behalf.
The False Claims Act also provides a major incentive for people to blow the whistle: financial compensation. If a protected disclosure (a disclosure made by the whistleblower to their lawyer, then brought to law enforcement) leads to a successful lawsuit, the whistleblower may be entitled to up to 30% of the settlement recovered by the government.
In Missouri, the Health Care Payment Fraud and Abuse Act also rewards individuals who report false claims relating specifically to the state’s Medicaid program. However, unlike the federal False Claims Act, the individual who reports the fraud cannot bring a lawsuit on behalf of the state government. If they are the original source of information relating to the fraud, they can still receive 10% of the amount that is recovered from the state.
Hiring a Missouri Whistleblower Lawyer
Hiring a lawyer should be your first step if you decide to blow the whistle on fraud. You will be required to have one if your case moves forward. An experienced whistleblower lawyer will also have a firm sense of how these cases work and can let you know what to expect.
The experts at Tycko & Zavareei LLP are here to help Missouri whistleblowers pursue justice. If you suspect that your employer is perpetrating fraud, contact us today to set up a consultation and review your case.
