When individuals seek to procure unwarranted funds from the United States, they are said to be committing government fraud and are therefore in violation of the False Claims Act. Government fraud has been known to occur in virtually every industry that enters into a contract with the federal government. Fortunately, the False Claims Act covers all types of government fraud and allows whistleblowers to file claims against any industry they believe may be guilty of fraudulent activity.
If you have knowledge of any type of government fraud, you stand to receive 15 to 30 percent of the government’s total recovery. Learn more about your opportunities for compensation by completing our free case evaluation form today.
Medicare and Medicaid Fraud
According to the FBI, fraud committed against government health insurance programs cost the United States over $60 billion each year. Oversight coupled with a lack of medical knowledge is generally said to account for the epidemic of healthcare industry fraud in the United States. In other words, since the government has no watchdog group to ensure that healthcare companies charge appropriately for their services, those companies will often overcharge or even charge for services they never performed.
Additionally, since the government lacks a group of medical professionals, companies will also charge for unnecessary services which the government pays not knowing any better. Given the missing oversight and lack of specific understanding of medicine, it is particularly important for whistleblowers in the healthcare industry to come forward in cases of fraud and help recover stolen taxpayer money.
Learn more about how much a problem healthcare fraud is nowadays.
Defense Contractor Fraud
When the False Claims Act was originally enacted in 1863, it was done so with the intention of ending the rampant defense contractor fraud which plagued the Union Army during the Civil War. The northern troops were being overcharged for supplies, some of which were faulty and unusable. In response, and at the request of President Lincoln, Congress passed the False Claims Act which issued a severe penalty to those who sought to defraud the government and a reward to those who prosecuted the fraudulent parties. Today, defense contractor fraud, or military contractor fraud remains one of the most common areas for False Claims litigation.
Want to learn more? Delve deeper into the types of defense contractor fraud that are out there.
Other Types of Fraud
The following are among the other types of fraud covered under the False Claims Act:
- Environmental fraud
- Federal student loan fraud
- Government construction fraud
- Government procurement Fraud
- U.S. Customs fraud
- U.S. Postal Service fraud
- SSRI fraud
At Morgan and Morgan, our whistleblower attorneys have the knowledge and experience to help you prosecute a fraudulent party in any industry. We can also ensure that you file your report safely and confidentially and that as a whistleblower you are protected from retaliation by the defendant.
If you have knowledge of government fraud, do not hesitate to contact Morgan and Morgan's whistleblower attorneys for a free, no obligation case review today.