Every year billions if dollars are wasted in paying false claims against the government. Of course, fraud is not a new phenomenon. It is as old as mankind itself. People see opportunities to benefit and they grasp those opportunities. They justify their acts to themselves by arguing that they are not stealing from the poor or needy. Yet it is the tax payer that finds himself paying the bills. However, aided by a whistleblower attorney Seattle citizens can help to put a stop to fraud and corruption.
The False Claims Act, or Lincoln Act as it is also known, was introduced by President Lincoln during the civil war. The purpose of the Act was to prevent fraudulent claims made upon the government by contractors that were appointed to supply the Union Army. This act remains in place to this day, although it was amended in 1986. It remains the most important weapon that tax payers have to recover billions falsely charged by contractors.
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 are encouraged to report cases in terms of this act by being rewarded for their actions. In fact, citizens can sometimes be awarded substantial rewards. Between 15 and 25 per cent of the money recovered by the government is awarded to the plaintiff. Guilty defendants can be punished with amounts up to three times the damages suffered by the government and civil penalties of up to 11 thousand dollars on top of that.
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.
Once a case is filed, the Justice Department needs some time to investigate the matter. They need to gather evidence against the defendant and the also need to make sure that the plaintiff actually has a valid case. That is why the case is sealed for sixty days after it is filed. This also means that the defendant is not informed about the case during this period.
Before lodging a claim it is necessary to gather as much evidence as possible. This must be done in a legal manner, however. Documents that were stolen from an employer, for example, may not be permitted in court. The attorneys will need details regarding dates, people involved, amounts and methods used to make false claims.
Fraud and corruption is part of life and always has been. However, if would be perpetrators know that they will be punished very severely if caught, they may think twice. It is the duty and responsibility of every citizen to report such cases. The fact that they can be rewarded handsomely should act as a motivating factor.
The False Claims Act, or Lincoln Act as it is also known, was introduced by President Lincoln during the civil war. The purpose of the Act was to prevent fraudulent claims made upon the government by contractors that were appointed to supply the Union Army. This act remains in place to this day, although it was amended in 1986. It remains the most important weapon that tax payers have to recover billions falsely charged by contractors.
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 are encouraged to report cases in terms of this act by being rewarded for their actions. In fact, citizens can sometimes be awarded substantial rewards. Between 15 and 25 per cent of the money recovered by the government is awarded to the plaintiff. Guilty defendants can be punished with amounts up to three times the damages suffered by the government and civil penalties of up to 11 thousand dollars on top of that.
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.
Once a case is filed, the Justice Department needs some time to investigate the matter. They need to gather evidence against the defendant and the also need to make sure that the plaintiff actually has a valid case. That is why the case is sealed for sixty days after it is filed. This also means that the defendant is not informed about the case during this period.
Before lodging a claim it is necessary to gather as much evidence as possible. This must be done in a legal manner, however. Documents that were stolen from an employer, for example, may not be permitted in court. The attorneys will need details regarding dates, people involved, amounts and methods used to make false claims.
Fraud and corruption is part of life and always has been. However, if would be perpetrators know that they will be punished very severely if caught, they may think twice. It is the duty and responsibility of every citizen to report such cases. The fact that they can be rewarded handsomely should act as a motivating factor.
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