The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced whistleblower awards in connection with three separate enforcement actions totaling over $3.6 million.
In the first order, the SEC awarded a whistleblower over $1.8 million for providing significant information about a fraudulent scheme. The whistleblower took immediate steps to mitigate the harm to investors, and provided substantial assistance to the staff, including providing testimony, key documents, and other information that saved SEC time and resources and contributed to an enforcement action that resulted in the return of millions of dollars to harmed investors.
In the second order, the SEC awarded a whistleblower more than $1.2 million for providing information that led to a successful enforcement action. In making the award, the SEC determined that the whistleblower’s culpability and unreasonable delay impacted the award amount.
In the third order, the SEC awarded more than $500,000 to a whistleblower who provided significant information and ongoing assistance that led to the success of an enforcement action. In issuing the award, the SEC waived the TCR filing requirement based on the unique facts and circumstances of the case.
“Today’s three awards demonstrate the SEC’s continuing commitment to making awards to individuals who provide high-quality information that assists the agency in bringing successful enforcement actions,” said Jane Norberg, Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower. “These awards also show that the Commission will take into account the unique facts and circumstances of each matter, in accordance with the whistleblower rules, when determining eligibility and the amount of the award.”
The SEC has awarded approximately $735 million to 127 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. 