SEC Announces $22 Million-Plus Whistleblower Award; Program Surpasses $100 Million in Awards

Fraud SEC Whistleblower

On August 30, the SEC announced that a whistleblower will receive more than $22 million for providing the SEC with a “detailed tip and extensive assistance” to help the agency uncover “well-hidden” securities fraud at the whistleblower’s company. The $22 million-plus award is the second largest SEC whistleblower award, following a $30 million award in September 2014. The SEC began the whistleblower program in 2011 and announced its first award in August 2012. Since then, the agency’s program has surpassed $100 million in total money awarded. More than 14,000 whistleblower tips have been submitted to the Whistleblower Office, with a total of 33 whistleblowers receiving monetary awards.