The False Claims Act – Types of Whistleblower Claims
The False Claims Act (“FCA”) encourages individuals with knowledge of fraud against the government to come forward and file lawsuits in the name of the government by rewarding them with a percentage of any recovery achieved by that lawsuit (referred to as a qui tam action).
There are many instances in which the government can be defrauded. The most common types of fraud against the government fall into the following categories:
- HEALTH CARE AND MEDICARE/MEDICAID FRAUD
- CONTRACTOR FRAUD
- DEFENSE CONTRACTOR FRAUD
- ENVIRONMENTAL FRAUD
- VIOLATION OF GSA CONTRACTS
- GRANT FRAUD
Whistleblower cases have been brought by whistleblowers and their whistleblower lawyers against government contractors, pharmaceutical companies, research scientists, doctors, and other medical professionals. Examples of fraudulent practices against the government include:
- overbilling the government for goods or services
- billing for goods or services not provided
- preparing a false record or false statement in order to get a fraudulent claim paid
- making a false statement to avoid paying a debt to the government
- falsifying research results
- manipulating procedures, such as upcoding and bundling or unbundling billing codes, in order to overcharge the government
The whistleblower attorneys at Bernstein Liebhard have extensive experience litigating cases against those who commit fraud. If you have knowledge of wrongdoing against the government, contact Michael S. Bigin or Laurence J. Hasson for more information.
