SEC Hands Out 36th Whistleblower Award, Worth $3.5 Million

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has handed out one of its largest awards under its whistleblower program, worth $3.5 million. The recipient was the 36th whistleblower to receive a monetary award under the program since the agency implemented it in 2011.

The recipient of the award provided information that led to a successful enforcement action. Since the SEC began handing out these whistleblower awards, it has offered a total of $135 million to the 36 whistleblowers who qualified. To be eligible, whistleblowers must provide the SEC with unique and specific information that leads to a successful enforcement action worth more than $1 million. The names of whistleblowers and any information about their cases are kept off public record.

How to file an SEC whistleblower claim

To qualify for an award under the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower program, claimants must submit any information they have regarding securities violations directly to the commission. They may do this through the SEC’s online tip, complaint and referral portal or by mailing or faxing a Form TCR directly to the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower headquarters in Washington, D.C.

All tips, complaints and referrals made to the SEC are completely confidential. The agency does not disclose any information you provide to third parties, except for in very limited circumstances. Additional confidentiality protections are available to whistleblowers under SEC laws, and employers may not retaliate against them in any way.

For further legal guidance if you have a tip you believe could lead to an SEC enforcement action, consult a knowledgeable Dallas attorney at Whistleblower Law for Managers.