Given the amounts that government spend on healthcare, it comes as no surprise that the vast majority of False Claims Act cases address Medicare and Medicaid fraud. But fraud permeates every sector of the economy in which government funding plays a role. And whistleblowers who learn about fraud in these sectors can bring claims on behalf of the government to end the fraud and recover ill-gotten government funds. Whistleblowers have had remarkable success addressing fraud through the False Claims Act in the following areas.
Types of FCA Cases
Education Fraud
One of the most common types of FCA cases is education fraud. The government plays an enormous role in funding education throughout the country, spending billions of dollars a year on grants and loans. And education fraud has been a significant issue in False Claims Act litigation for many years. Education fraud comes in many forms. The most common schemes include for-profit colleges accepting government funds by falsely certifying compliance with Title IV; and universities submitting fraudulent information to obtain grant funds.
Mortgage/Banking Fraud
The United States heavily regulates the mortgage and banking industries. And with the government expending so much money on housing programs like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, it comes as no surprise that fraud is common. A common fraud in this sector is the routine misrepresentation of material information on government subsidized loan documents. In addition to the False Claims Act, the Financial Institutes Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) and the Financial Institutions Anti-Fraud Enforcement Act (FIAFEA) also protect whistleblowers and compensate them for coming forward with information of fraud in the financial sector.
Government Contracting Fraud
The False Claims Act originated during the Civil War when unscrupulous suppliers defrauded the Union Army by selling worthless supplies. So using the False Claims Act to address government contract fraud has a long history. Today, it is the second most common type of fraud addressed in False Claims Act lawsuits. This category covers a wide variety of schemes, including bid rigging, selling defective products, overcharging, and failing to satisfy the terms of a contract.
If you know about fraud against the government in any of these categories, you should reach out to one of Florin Gray’s experienced whistleblower attorneys as soon as possible to discuss your options.