What day is National Report Homeland Security Fraud Day celebrated? May 2
What is National Report Homeland Security Fraud Day? National Report Homeland Security Fraud Day brings awareness to the amount of fraud against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and teaches the public how to obtain a monetary reward for reporting it. Ten percent of all government spending is lost due to fraud. Because the government is spending over $44 billion a year for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),[1] that means $4 billion a year is lost to fraud under this one program alone. It’s no wonder why we have a national economy crisis!
It’s time the public stands up and put an end to Homeland Security fraud. Today is the day that you can be part of the solution.
Statistics for Whistleblower Rewards
The government pays whistleblower rewards of between 15% and 25% of the funds recovered based upon a whistleblower’s allegations of fraud against the government, whether it is Medicare fraud, military fraud, or fraud against the Department of Homeland Security. Below are statistics relating to whistleblower rewards in reporting fraud against the military or Homeland Security:
- The total whistleblower rewards paid is nearly $550 million ($549,364,943)
- The average reward $349,468
- The largest reward is nearly $50 million in a single case
Who created National Report Homeland Security Fraud Day? National Report Homeland Security Fraud Day started in 2018. It was formed by Joel Hesch, a whistleblower attorney who spent over 15 years working in Department of Justice whistleblower reward office. While at DOJ, Mr. Hesch obtained over $1 billion in recoveries back for the government from those cheating the government and paid out hundred of millions in rewards to whistleblowers. Mr. Hesch formed his own law firm and now exclusively represents whistleblowers nationwide in filing for rewards for reporting fraud against the government, including Homeland Security fraud. To help whistleblowers properly report Homeland Security fraud, he authored a free e-book that you can download here. He also has a website that explains what steps are necessary to be eligible for a whistleblower reward.
How to celebrate National Report Homeland Security Fraud Day? Celebrate National Report Homeland Security Fraud Day by downloading his free e-book so that you understand the various fraud schemes and the Department of Justice (DOJ) whistleblower reward program. The e-book explains the benefits and risks of reporting fraud and the various ways you can report fraud. If you have the right type of information, you can and should report Homeland Security fraud as outlined in the book and in the next section.
You can also celebrate National Report Homeland Security Fraud Day by sharing this web page with everyone you know so that the whole world can participate in stamping out fraud. Only when fraud doers know that the public knows how to spot Homeland Security fraud and can get a reward for reporting it will they think twice about ripping off our government programs.
How to report Homeland Security Fraud and received a monetary reward? There are two very different ways of reporting Homeland Security fraud, with two very different results.
- File for a Reward
The first way to report Homeland Security fraud is to have a whistleblower attorney, such as Mr. Hesch, help you blow the whistle under the Department of Justice (DOJ) reward program, which pays whistleblower rewards of between 15% to 25% of the amount DOJ recovers. So far, DOJ has paid nearly $5 billion ($4,943,706,903) in whistleblower rewards for reporting fraud against the military and Homeland Security, and the average reward for reporting is $320,000.
If you report fraud under the DOJ program, the government must open an investigation and inform your attorney of the results. Thus, applying for a reward through a whistleblower attorney is the only way to ensure an investigation takes place (rather than just calling an agency hotline). Today, over three-fourths of the government’s fraud cases are DOJ whistleblower reward cases. Thus, the government is counting on whistleblowers to bring fraud cases to DOJ and receive a reward in the process.
- Report fraud to the agency
The second way to report Homeland Security fraud is to report it directly to the agency (DHS). You can do this without an attorney and even anonymously. There are a few downsides by reporting the fraud to DHS. First, there is no reward. Second, DHS does not have to open an investigation. Third, DHS does not have to tell you the results of any investigation. Nevertheless, there are times when it makes sense to report fraud directly to DHS through its website or by calling its hotline. Here is how to contact DHS directly:
Here is how to contact the DHS to report fraud directly to it:[2]
Online: Fill out an Allegation Form (see https://hotline.oig.dhs.gov/hotline/hotline.php)
Call: 1-800-323-8603 Toll Free
Fax: 202-254-4297
U.S. Mail:
DHS Office of Inspector General
MAIL STOP 0305
Attn: Office of Investigations- HOTLINE
245 Murray Lane SW
Washington, DC 20528-0305
The DHS also has articles describing whistleblower protections, which are available at this link: https://www.oig.dhs.gov/whistleblower-protection.
What other national days are there for whistleblowing or whistleblower rewards for reporting fraud? There are many other national days relating to reporting fraud against the government. Here are just a few:
National Report IRS Fraud Day April 10
National Report Medicare Fraud Day September 12
National Report Military Fraud Day July 2
National Whistleblower Reward Day February 20
National Day Archives also has a separate category just for Politics/Government. For more days relating to the Politics/Government browse the category button on the top left of the webpage.
Footnotes:
[1] https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/DHS%20FY18%20BIB%20Final.pdf
[2] https://www.dhs.gov/how-do-i/report-fraud-waste-or-abuse-within-dhs