Filing a whistleblower complaint can be intimidating and overwhelming. If you find that your employer is purposely defrauding the United States Government, you may be wondering how to file a whistleblower complaint. There are certain steps you should take to ensure you have appropriate evidence and your claim can stand up in court.
Once you figure out how to file a whistleblower complaint, you may be able to recover a substantial reward for your troubles. Whistleblowers are typically entitled to approximately 30 percent of the recovered amount, along with certain other protections. Whistleblower recoveries exceeded $2 billion in 2022 and that amount seems to rise annually.
Here’s what you need to know about how to file a whistleblower complaint.
Verify Your Claim
Before you attempt to file a whistleblower complaint, it is essential that you verify your claim. You should confirm that the company you are reporting has defrauded or is currently defrauding the United States government. This activity can take multiple shapes. For instance, someone may submit fake invoices for payment or avoid paying money they owe to a government agency.
Filing a whistleblower complaint is not an activity to take lightly. You are making a serious allegation that will have long-term repercussions. Take the time to ensure that you are reporting a thief that is committing a crime against the United States government. Don’t talk to friends or colleagues about your decision to report. You are afforded certain protections under the law, and it is important to protect those rights with silence.
Gather Evidence When Possible
If you know of documents that can help prove your cases, you may want to gather them. Old invoices or billing documents can often help prove your claim. However, you must be careful not to violate any laws when you gather this evidence. There are privacy and employment laws in place, and you should review them before taking anything. Sometimes you may need to resort to pictures of documents to avoid potentially breaking laws.
Contact a Whistleblower Attorney
Next, you’ll want to contact an experienced whistleblower attorney to help you file your complaint. Your attorney can listen to your story and review any potential evidence you may have gathered. If you have the essential evidence necessary, your attorney can help you draft the whistleblower disclosure paperwork and complaint.
Filing a claim under the False Claims Act (FCA) requires disclosure to the United States government. It will be necessary to submit paperwork detailing your allegations and then disclose all evidence you have gathered against the company or opposite party. After your disclosure, your whistleblower attorney will file a special qui tam lawsuit in federal court which will remain sealed until the federal court unseals it.
How to File a Whistleblower Complaint
Taking the steps to file a whistleblower complaint can be intimidating but it is often a rewarding process, too. It’s not easy making these serious allegations against a company but it is often the right thing to do. Learning how to file a whistleblower complaint is as easy as doing some research and then contacting the right attorney to help guide you through the process. If you know of a company stealing from or defrauding the United States government, do the right thing and file a whistleblower complaint.