Chances are, you have heard of a whistleblower before. They tend to appear in the news after speaking up about something illegal happening within a government, company, or even police department. Whistleblowers help maintain a free and fair economy and government with their bravery.
Blowing the whistle on fraud of any type can be intimidating, but federal and state law offer protections for those who come forward with information about fraud. If you have evidence of fraud being committed against the government in VA, a Virginia whistleblower lawyer can help you report the wrongdoings. The attorneys at Tycko & Zavareei LLP may be able to help you file a qui tam lawsuit.
What is a Qui Tam Lawsuit?
A qui tam lawsuit gets its name from a Latin phrase, qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitur, which translates to “Who sues on behalf of the King as well as for himself.” Some of the earliest qui tam policies date back to the Middle Ages. Kings would enlist the help of commoners to spot and report crimes, then reward them for coming forward. A qui tam lawsuit today follows the same basic principle.
Today, a qui tam lawsuit (also called a whistleblower lawsuit) is filed under the federal False Claims Act, which is a law that protects and rewards whistleblowers for exposing fraud and corruption. Under this law, as well as the Virginia whistleblower law, whistleblowers are legally protected from employer retaliation for coming forward.
They also have the legal right to stay anonymous during the investigation of their claim. If their suspicions of fraud are correct and the government is able to successfully recover lost funds through a qui tam lawsuit, the whistleblower may be entitled to a portion of the settlement, usually between 15 and 30 percent.
Common Types of Fraud in Virginia
Every day, new scams crop up around the world. Plenty of types of fraud and scams target individual citizens, but government fraud results in some of the largest financial losses. Here are a few of the more common types of fraud against the government. Tycko & Zavareei LLP has handled all of these types of cases and more, and our attorneys are here to help anyone who wishes to report fraud.
Tax Fraud
Individuals and businesses may commit tax fraud in order to avoid paying the taxes they owe or to get a larger refund than the one they are legally entitled to receive. Tax fraud is such a large problem that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a specific program for whistleblowers who report tax violations.
Securities Fraud
Securities fraud is a form of deception involving the sale and trade of stocks and bonds. Fraudulent brokers may misrepresent the state of the market or the value of assets to investors, with the goal of keeping the money they invest.
Healthcare Fraud
The federal government’s healthcare programs, Medicare and Medicaid, are frequent targets of healthcare fraud. A medical practice or professional participating in this type of deception will typically misrepresent the services they are providing in order to receive additional funds from the government. They may even provide medically unnecessary services to the detriment of patients or accept kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies.
Government Contracts Fraud
Government contracts fraud is the reason behind the original passage of the False Claims Act in 1863. During the Civil War, the US government faced fraudulent defense contractors who accepted payment for weapons, mules, and more defense items necessary during the war but provided the government with sick animals and faulty equipment.
Today, government contracts fraud is still a relatively common occurrence. Fraudulent contractors in the 21st century may use government funds to make non-government related purchases, inflate their quotes to the government, or practice double billing, among other fraudulent activity.
Customs and Tariffs Fraud
Customs fraud typically involves foreign traders attempting to circumvent tariffs on traded goods. They may do this in multiple ways, including trans-shipping goods through third countries, misclassifying goods, misrepresenting the value of goods, falsifying country-of-origin, and more.
Blowing the Whistle on Fraud
When someone notices signs of fraud against the federal government or the Commonwealth of Virginia, they have the option to help by alerting authorities. There is a specific process to follow in order to open a qui tam case.
The first step is to set up a consultation with a qualified Virginia whistleblower lawyer, which you will be required to have under the False Claims Act. Your attorney will review your case and any evidence you may have and determine whether the evidence is strong enough to file a qui tam claim. If it is, a lawsuit may be filed on behalf of the federal government or State of Virginia, which then kicks off an investigation into your claims. If the lawsuit is successful and allows the government to recover defrauded funds, you may be entitled to a portion as a reward for speaking out and helping the government stop the fraud.
Contact a Virginia Whistleblower Attorney Today
Tycko & Zavareei LLP takes pride in helping whistleblowers through the process of filing a False Claims Act lawsuit, as our experienced attorneys have done for years. Contact us today to set up a free consultation to review your case.
