How to Become a Whistleblower: Where to Report Fraud
How to blow the whistle on fraud against the government: where to report, which programs pay rewards, how to stay anonymous, and your retaliation protections.
You become a whistleblower by reporting fraud to the office that handles it, and some of those offices pay rewards. How to become a whistleblower depends on the kind of fraud you saw, because each kind goes to a different place.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) tip portal at america.gov/fraud takes federal benefit and health care fraud tips. It can pay $10,000 to $30,000 if a tip leads to criminal charges. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) pay 10% to 30%, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) pays 15% to 30%. A sealed False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuit pays 15% to 30% of the recovery.
How to Blow the Whistle and Which Route Pays
To blow the whistle, match the fraud you know about to the office in the table below and report it there. Only some routes pay a reward.
| What You Know About | Where to Report | Can It Pay? | Full Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal health care fraud or fraud on covered federal benefit programs | DOJ portal at america.gov/fraud | Yes, $10,000 to $30,000 if the tip leads to unsealed criminal charges | DOJ fraud tip rewards program |
| A person or company knowingly billing the federal government falsely | A sealed FCA (qui tam) lawsuit in federal court | Yes, 15% to 30% of the government's recovery | False Claims Act guide |
| Medicare or Medicaid fraud | Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Hotline; your state's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) for Medicaid providers | No reward for an ordinary report. The DOJ program or an FCA case can pay. | Medicare and Medicaid fraud guide |
| Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud | The state agency where it happened; U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) OIG for criminal or multi-state fraud | No reward for an ordinary report. A SNAP fraud tip that leads to unsealed criminal charges can earn a DOJ reward. | Food stamp fraud guide |
| Social Security fraud | Social Security Administration (SSA) OIG | No. Social Security is not on the DOJ program's covered list. | Social Security fraud guide |
| Securities fraud | SEC Whistleblower Program, on Form TCR | 10% to 30% of sanctions when the SEC collects more than $1 million | Whistleblower settlements |
| Commodities or derivatives fraud | CFTC Whistleblower Program | 10% to 30% of sanctions over $1 million | Whistleblower settlements |
| Tax underpayment or evasion | IRS Whistleblower Office, on Form 211 | 15% to 30% of collected proceeds when more than $2 million is in dispute | Whistleblower settlements |
For a DOJ reward, submit through the portal. DOJ strongly encourages using it and may deny an award solely because a tip came in another way. The portal sends each report to the Treasury Department, which passes it to the federal office best placed to act.
Include your contact information, because a portal report without it is not eligible for a reward. Crimes other than fraud go to local police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The New DOJ Fraud Tip Rewards Program
The DOJ program can pay $10,000 to $30,000 for each distinct tip that leads to unsealed criminal charges. President Trump and Vice President Vance announced it at an Oval Office event on October 20, 2026. The program's official DOJ name is the National Fraud Enforcement Division Criminal Tip Rewards Pilot Program. News reports call it the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program. For what Trump and Vance said at the announcement, see our Trump whistleblower program news explainer.
It covers federal health care fraud and fraud on programs at eight federal agencies, including SNAP, unemployment and student aid. Priority areas are hospice, home health care, day care and autism care fraud. The reward is paid at or around the time charges are filed and unsealed. Rewards are discretionary, and the decision cannot be appealed. You do not need a lawyer to submit, though staying anonymous requires one.
AP reported that President Trump described payouts as a "1% commission" on the fraud a tip uncovers. NBC News reported he said he would be the "arbitrator" of award decisions. DOJ's written guidance sets awards at $10,000 to $30,000 in the Department's sole discretion, and that guidance governs submissions. Updates post on the DOJ Whistleblower Rewards Program page.
Eligibility, covered programs and the submission steps are in the full guide to the DOJ fraud tip rewards program.
Award Programs Compared
The five federal whistleblower reward routes differ in what fraud they cover, how they pay, and how you file.
| Program | What Fraud | How It Pays | How to File |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOJ fraud tip rewards program | Federal health care fraud and covered benefit program fraud | Fixed $10,000 to $30,000 per distinct tip, after unsealed charges | Through america.gov/fraud. A lawyer is needed only to stay anonymous. |
| False Claims Act qui tam | Knowingly false claims for federal money, including keeping an overpayment; tax claims excluded | 15% to 25% if the government intervenes, 25% to 30% if it declines | A sealed complaint in federal court, which in practice means hiring a lawyer |
| SEC Whistleblower Program | Securities fraud | 10% to 30% of sanctions over $1 million | Form TCR |
| CFTC Whistleblower Program | Commodities and derivatives fraud | 10% to 30% of sanctions over $1 million | Through the CFTC Whistleblower Program |
| IRS Whistleblower Office | Tax underpayment and evasion | 15% to 30% when over $2 million is in dispute (or individual income above $200,000) | Form 211 |
An FCA relator's share can be capped at 10% when the case rests mainly on publicly disclosed information. The defendant also pays the relator's reasonable expenses, attorneys' fees and costs. A violator found liable pays three times the government's damages plus a penalty for each false claim.
All of these awards are taxable income. A DOJ tip reward does not stop you from receiving later payments under other programs, such as DOJ's Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program. Read more in the whistleblower settlements guide and the False Claims Act guide.
Most whistleblower lawyers work on contingency, and you can get matched with a whistleblower or qui tam lawyer.
Reporting Benefit and Health Care Fraud
Medicare and Medicaid fraud go to HHS-OIG, SNAP fraud goes to a state agency or USDA OIG, and Social Security fraud goes to SSA OIG. None of those offices describes a reward for an ordinary report.
Report Medicare and Medicaid fraud to the HHS-OIG Hotline through its online form or at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). Medicare.gov also lists 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Medicaid provider fraud goes to your state's MFCU, which you can find in the MFCU directory. Steps are in the Medicare and Medicaid fraud reporting guide.
HHS-OIG also investigates abuse or neglect in nursing homes. For an older adult in danger, follow the elder abuse reporting steps, and call 911 in an emergency.
Report a SNAP household that cheats to the state agency where it happened, using the state map on the USDA nutrition fraud page. Go to the USDA OIG Hotline with evidence of criminal activity, fraud in several states, or employee misconduct. The food stamp fraud reporting guide covers both routes.
Report Social Security fraud to the SSA OIG through its online fraud form or at 1-800-269-0271. Phone hours are 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday. Impersonation scams use a separate form, explained in the Social Security fraud reporting guide.
Protection from Retaliation
Federal law protects many whistleblowers from retaliation, and the protection depends on who you work for and how you reported.
Federal employees who disclose fraud, waste or abuse are protected by the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. Private-sector workers have the FCA's anti-retaliation section. It covers an employee, contractor or agent who is fired, demoted, threatened or harassed for acting against FCA violations.
FCA remedies include reinstatement, two times back pay, interest, litigation costs and attorneys' fees. The retaliation suit must be filed within 3 years.
The DOJ tip program asks you to report retaliation in your submission or a follow-up. DOJ may weigh it against the company's cooperation credit and may take enforcement action. The guidance creates no enforceable rights, so it gives you no retaliation lawsuit of its own.
HHS-OIG cannot handle an anonymous complaint as a whistleblower-retaliation complaint. Other workplace retaliation is covered on the retaliation rights page and the wrongful termination guide.
Staying Anonymous and What Evidence to Gather
Each office has its own anonymity rules.
- DOJ tip program: To stay anonymous, submit through an attorney who certifies your identity. Before any award is paid, you must disclose your identity to DOJ.
- HHS-OIG: Choose no restrictions, confidential or anonymous. HHS-OIG says the last two can hinder its review.
- USDA OIG: Choose named, confidential or anonymous. Anonymous means USDA OIG cannot ask you questions or tell you what it did.
- SSA OIG: You may stay anonymous. Confidentiality requests are honored unless the law requires disclosure, such as a court order.
DOJ will not publicly disclose information that could reasonably reveal a tipster's identity, except as required by law or Department policy. DOJ may also have to disclose a tipster's identity to a defendant in a court or administrative proceeding.
HHS-OIG asks for these details:
- The name and contact details of the person or business.
- What happened, its scope and time frame, and how you learned of it.
- Contact details for anyone who can back up your account.
- E-mails, documents, billing records or photographs.
Do not mail originals to HHS-OIG, because they are not returned. The DOJ portal accepts up to 5 documents or photos. For a DOJ reward, the information must come from your own knowledge or analysis, not from court filings or news.
Risks and What Does Not Pay
Blowing the whistle carries risk: employer retaliation, the cost of your time, and the chance that no reward is paid. Programs require original information and your cooperation.
The DOJ reward does not fit everyone. Companies, DOJ and law-enforcement staff, and people who meaningfully took part in the crime do not qualify. Information learned as a compliance officer or internal auditor is generally not original, with limited exceptions. DOJ can bar a person after three or more frivolous submissions.
An FCA case faces its own limits. A court must dismiss a case built on already public allegations unless the government opposes or the relator is an original source. Once a qui tam case is filed, no one else may bring a related case on the same facts.
The FCA deadline is 6 years from the violation, or 3 years after the responsible U.S. official knew or should have known the facts, whichever is later. It never runs past 10 years.
The HHS-OIG, USDA nutrition-program and SSA OIG reporting pages describe no reward for an ordinary report. A Social Security tip does not qualify for the DOJ program. A Social Security tip that also reveals a covered crime, such as health care fraud, may be considered. If DOJ changes its written guidance during the program's three-year term, the award amounts and eligibility rules could change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do whistleblowers get paid?
Pay depends on the route. The DOJ fraud tip program can pay a fixed $10,000 to $30,000 per distinct tip that leads to unsealed criminal charges. An FCA relator gets 15% to 30% of the recovery. The SEC and CFTC pay 10% to 30% of sanctions over $1 million, and the IRS pays 15% to 30%. All of these awards are taxable income.
Is being a whistleblower risky?
Yes, whistleblowing carries risks, including employer retaliation, the cost of your time and the chance that no reward is paid. The FCA lets private-sector workers sue for retaliation within 3 years. Federal employees are protected by the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989.
What evidence does a whistleblower need?
Give who did it, what happened, when, and how you learned of it. Add witness contacts and any e-mails, documents, billing records or photos. USDA says evidence is not required to report SNAP fraud, but USDA OIG may be unable to act without enough information.
Do I need a lawyer to be a whistleblower?
You do not need a lawyer to submit a DOJ fraud tip. You do need one to stay anonymous in the DOJ program. An FCA qui tam case is a sealed federal complaint, which in practice means hiring a lawyer.
Can I report fraud anonymously?
Yes, HHS-OIG, USDA OIG and SSA OIG all accept anonymous reports. For a DOJ reward, you must submit through an attorney to stay anonymous. You must disclose your identity to DOJ before any award is paid.
What does not count as whistleblowing?
Medicare billing, coverage or lost-card questions go to 1-800-MEDICARE, and HHS-OIG rarely intervenes in personal grievances. A tip repeated from news or court filings is not original for a DOJ reward. Non-fraud crimes go to local police or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
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