The SEC Whistleblower Program

In the aftermath of the 2008 Great Recession, the Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law. The law overhauled regulations on Wall Street and put in place important protections—one of them being the SEC Whistleblower Program.

In 2012, the SEC issued its first whistleblower award. Just ten years later, The SEC Whistleblower Program has already awarded more than $1 billion to whistleblowers.

Under the SEC program, eligible whistleblowers are entitled to an award of between 10-30 percent of the monetary sanctions collected in actions brought by the SEC and related actions brought by other regulatory and law enforcement authorities.

Listen to our interview with key architects of the SEC Whistleblower Program!

The SEC whistleblower law prohibits retaliation by employers against employees who provide the SEC with information about possible securities violations. Under the SEC Whistleblower Program, whistleblowers can submit tips anonymously to the SEC through an attorney and be eligible for an award for exposing any material violation of the federal securities laws.

There are many types of fraud. Some known securities frauds are:

  • Accounting fraud
  • Investment fraud
  • Ponzi schemes
  • Foreign bribery and FCPA violations
  • Cryptocurrency fraud
  • Promissory note fraud
  • Fraudulent securities offerings
  • Inadequate internal controls
  • Manipulation of a security’s price or volume
  • Insider trading
  • Hedge fund fraud
  • Unregistered broker-dealers
  • Investment adviser fraud
  • Anti-money laundering violations
  • Misleading cybersecurity disclosures.

It is highly recommended to find an attorney who specializes in these cases. You can search our whistleblower attorney directory to explore 400+ experienced practitioners across the country.