Rewards for Reporting Fraud

Whistleblowing: A Guide to Government Reward Programs (How to collect millions of dollars for reporting fraud), by Joel D. Hesch, Esq., Goshen Press, $15.95, 256 pages (October 2, 2007), available at www.HowToReportFraud.com or your favorite online bookstore, and 1-800-BOOK-LOG or 1-800-247-6553.

 

            Top whistleblowers receive $100 million in government rewards for reporting fraud, $2 billion in rewards have already been paid, and the average reward is $1.75 million. With such stunning numbers one might think that this is easy money. But 80% of those applying receive nothing at all. What makes the difference? The book, Whistleblowing: A Guide to Government Reward Programs (How to collect millions of dollars for reporting fraud), explains what it takes to earn a significant reward and how to avoid common mistakes. Written by a former Department of Justice Official who helped pay out $2 billion in government rewards, this is the definitive insider's book on government reward programs. It guides you step-by-step through the entire process of applying for a government reward.

            Nearly 10% of government spending is lost due to fraud. That adds up to tens-of-billions of dollars each year. Because the government pays whistleblowers up to 30% of what it recovers, there are hundreds of millions of dollars available for rewards for doing the right thing of turning in a tax cheat or company defrauding the government.

The million dollar question is how can you tell whether you have the type of a case which earns a million dollars versus one where no reward is possible? Whistleblowing shows you how to get your fare share of the massive rewards available. Mr. Hesch draws from his 15 years as a government attorney working in the whistleblower office to act as your tour guide. He provides a rare behind the scenes tour of the whistleblower reward program and explains how the government evaluates cases.

Receiving a government reward is a lot like following a recipe, and this book has the formula. Whistleblowing leaves nothing out. You will learn how to gather information, create a winning application, and work with the government to receive a fair reward. To help you understand the process, the book is filled with hundreds of illustrations, stories, and examples of fraud schemes where the government paid out large rewards. The author establishes “Four F Factors” of eligibility and checklists for you to use in evaluating a potential case. The book also describes the manner in which awards are calculated and how to estimate the potential reward you might receive. Finally, Mr. Hesch candidly explains the risks and tells you what type of information rarely results in a reward to keep you from wasting your time.

This book gives the reader everything they need to know about the whistleblower reward programs and how to evaluate whether they should apply for a reward. It also serves a worthy goal of enlisting and equipping the public in the fight against fraud.

 

About the author:

 

Joel D. Hesch spent 15 years as an attorney with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. and helped administer the national whistleblower reward program. He received numerous government awards for combating fraud and currently teaches law at Liberty University. He also has a private practice representing whistleblowers, and hosts an informative website, www.HowToReportFraud.com, that contains up to the minute updates on reward programs.