The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced an award of over $5 million to joint whistleblowers whose tip caused the opening of an investigation that resulted in a successful enforcement action. The whistleblowers provided significant information about misconduct abroad that directly supported certain allegations in the enforcement action.
“The whistleblowers’ information alerted the staff to misconduct occurring abroad which could have been difficult to detect without their tip,” said Jane Norberg, Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower. “Whistleblowers from 130 different counties have provided tips to the Commission since the beginning of the program, and we hope this award encourages others with credible information to come forward.”
The SEC has awarded approximately $758 million to 142 individuals since issuing its first award in 2012. All payments are made out of an investor protection fund established by Congress that is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators. No money has been taken or withheld from harmed investors to pay whistleblower awards. Whistleblowers may be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely, and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action. Whistleblower awards can range from 10-30% of the money collected when the monetary sanctions exceed $1 million.
As set forth in the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and does not disclose information that could reveal a whistleblower’s identity.
For more information about the whistleblower program and how to report a tip, visit www.sec.gov/whistleblower.
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