SEC Awards More Than $1 Million to Whistleblower

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced an award of more than $1 million to a whistleblower whose information and assistance led to an SEC enforcement action.  The whistleblower provided SEC staff with valuable information and ongoing assistance, which included participating in an interview with the staff and providing documents and additional information, saving the SEC time and resources. 

“Today’s whistleblower played a critical role in the SEC bringing an enforcement action,” said Emily Pasquinelli, Acting Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower.  “The whistleblower timely reported the securities law violations to the Commission and then played a key role in the successful resolution of the action.” 

The SEC has awarded approximately $939 million to 182 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 percent to 30 percent 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 any 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.