With Help From A Whistleblower Attorney Seattle Citizens Can Help Prevent Fraud

By Freida Michael


It is a sad fact that there always was always will be people that exploit their positions to steal from the government. Fraud is a widespread crime and it is not always easy to catch the perpetrators. Those guilty of defrauding the government salve their consciences by convincing themselves that it is not really wrong to take from the government. Upstanding citizens can, however, help fight this scourge. Being represented by a whistleblower attorney Seattle residents can bring this type of criminal to task.

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.

The False Claims Act makes it worthwhile for ordinary citizens to formally lodge criminal cases against fraudsters. The Act makes provision for rewarding such a citizen with between 15 and 25 per cent of the money recovered from the case. This reward can be extremely large, since those found guilty are fined three times the amount involved in the case plus civil fines of up to 11 000 dollar. This reward can indeed serve as a powerful motivator.

Private citizens filing this type of case are called relators. If they wish to share in the amount recovered during the case, they have to pursue it with their own lawyers. Almost two thirds of moneys recovered in such cases are due to cases filed by private citizens. The rewards awarded these plaintiffs can be very substantial. Lawyers specializing in this field routinely accept 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.

When approaching a lawyer, it is vital to present as much evidence as is possible. It is no use pursuing a case on the basis of hearsay or suspicions. Because these cases are taken on a contingency basis, the lawyer will need to make certain that there is a reasonable chance of success in court.

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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