Corruption and fraud is as old as the history of the world. There are always people that try to benefit unfairly or illegally when they see an opportunity to do so. Fraud against the government is especially rife but government officials are also prone to commit acts of fraud. Of course, money thus wasted or stolen has to be paid by somebody and that somebody is the tax payer. Fortunately, when appointing a whistleblower attorney Seattle residents can report such cases and see it prosecuted successfully.
The law that is used to fight against fraud and to take perpetrators to task is called the False Claims Act, or the Lincoln Act. President Lincoln promulgated this act as long ago as the civil war when contractors appointed to supply the army routinely submitted false or exaggerated claims. Apart for amendments in 1986 the act remains to most effective tool in combating fraud against the government.
The False Claims Act allows for qui tam. This basically means he that brings a claim on behalf of the Lord king and himself. Any citizen can therefore bring to light information that he believes evidences to be a violation of any law or regulation that leads to losses to the tax payer. Gross waste of funds, mismanagement and abuse of authority can all be reported in terms of this act.
Citizens filing this type of case do not always do out out of patriotism or a strong sense of duty. They have an incentive to pursue these cases. If the case is prosecuted successfully, the defendant can be fined up to three times the amount involved in the case. In addition, civil penalties of up to eleven thousand dollars can be imposed. The citizen that filed the case will be awarded between 15 and 25 per cent of the amount thus recovered.
Citizens pursuing these cases in court are referred to as relators. They are not rewarded if they simply report the matter to the authorities. They have to approach a lawyer and file the case themselves. Cases like these are not uncommon. In fact, just about 60 per cent of moneys recovered by the Justice Department is achieved by means of qui tam cases. Lawyers often accept these cases on a contingency basis.
When a case in terms of the False Claims Act is filed, it is sealed for sixty days. This means that the defendant is not notified of the case in order to allow the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation. The Justice Department also needs time to make sure that the case was not filed frivolously or even out of spite.
Before approaching a lawyer, it is vital to gather as much information as possible. Documents, affidavits related to overheard conversations and details regarding the nature of the false claim should be gathered. The more information that can be presented the better. Lawyers that specialize in this type of case will not take on clients that only offer vague suspicions and hearsay evidence.
Tax payers have to foot the bill for fraudulent acts by unscrupulous people and organizations. The False Claims Act gives them the opportunity to do something about it and to get a reward to boot. Anyone that becomes aware of fraud, mismanagement or illegal acts should report the matter without delay.
The law that is used to fight against fraud and to take perpetrators to task is called the False Claims Act, or the Lincoln Act. President Lincoln promulgated this act as long ago as the civil war when contractors appointed to supply the army routinely submitted false or exaggerated claims. Apart for amendments in 1986 the act remains to most effective tool in combating fraud against the government.
The False Claims Act allows for qui tam. This basically means he that brings a claim on behalf of the Lord king and himself. Any citizen can therefore bring to light information that he believes evidences to be a violation of any law or regulation that leads to losses to the tax payer. Gross waste of funds, mismanagement and abuse of authority can all be reported in terms of this act.
Citizens filing this type of case do not always do out out of patriotism or a strong sense of duty. They have an incentive to pursue these cases. If the case is prosecuted successfully, the defendant can be fined up to three times the amount involved in the case. In addition, civil penalties of up to eleven thousand dollars can be imposed. The citizen that filed the case will be awarded between 15 and 25 per cent of the amount thus recovered.
Citizens pursuing these cases in court are referred to as relators. They are not rewarded if they simply report the matter to the authorities. They have to approach a lawyer and file the case themselves. Cases like these are not uncommon. In fact, just about 60 per cent of moneys recovered by the Justice Department is achieved by means of qui tam cases. Lawyers often accept these cases on a contingency basis.
When a case in terms of the False Claims Act is filed, it is sealed for sixty days. This means that the defendant is not notified of the case in order to allow the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation. The Justice Department also needs time to make sure that the case was not filed frivolously or even out of spite.
Before approaching a lawyer, it is vital to gather as much information as possible. Documents, affidavits related to overheard conversations and details regarding the nature of the false claim should be gathered. The more information that can be presented the better. Lawyers that specialize in this type of case will not take on clients that only offer vague suspicions and hearsay evidence.
Tax payers have to foot the bill for fraudulent acts by unscrupulous people and organizations. The False Claims Act gives them the opportunity to do something about it and to get a reward to boot. Anyone that becomes aware of fraud, mismanagement or illegal acts should report the matter without delay.
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