The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced they have issued more than $1 billion in awards to whistleblowers who have come forward with information about fraud. The SEC has issued awards to 207 whistleblowers since its program started in 2012, with some awards as high as $114 million and $110 million.

The Dodd-Frank Act allows a monetary award to be paid out to individuals who provide information to the SEC that results in enforcement action and monetary sanctions over $1 million. The whistleblower program is funded by monetary sanctions imposed on securities law violators. Whistleblowers are also protected by the Dodd-Frank Act which assures their identities remain confidential.

What are Securities Laws Violations?

There are many types of securities law violations. The most commonly reported tips to the SEC involve corporate disclosures and financials. Below is a partial list of potential violations that can be reported to the SEC:

• Accounting fraud
• Blockchain and cryptocurrency fraud
• Cybersecurity disclosure violations
• False or misleading statements about a company or investment
• Foreign bribery and other FCPA violations
• Hedge fund fraud
• Insider trading
• Investment adviser fraud
• Investment & securities fraud
• Money laundering violations
• Ponzi or pyramid schemes

Information for SEC Whistleblowers

Issuing more than $1 billion in awards to whistleblowers confirms that the SEC values whistleblowers and the role they play in the investigation and prosecution of securities law violations. Individuals with inside information about securities laws violations should speak to a whistleblower attorney about presenting a potential case to the SEC. An experienced whistleblower attorney can assist in submitting a successful complaint to the SEC and protect the confidentiality and rights of whistleblowers.

Contact Baron & Budd

With more than 30 years of experience, the attorneys on Baron & Budd’s whistleblower representation team have represented dozens of clients in government fraud cases returning over $5.4 billion to federal and state agencies, with whistleblower recovery shares as high as 49%. They are ready to help if you have evidence of securities violations.

Please call (866) 845-2164 or complete our contact form if you would like more information. For more information, see What You Need to Know About Becoming a Whistleblower. Please understand that contacting us does not mean that you have established an attorney-client relationship with Baron & Budd, P.C.