DOJ Establishes Nation-Wide Reporting Process to Report Coronavirus Fraud
Updated: Apr 5, 2020
On March 20, 2020, Attorney General William Barr announced a nation-wide process for Americans to report fraud in the fight against Coronavirus (COVID19). The Justice Department also confirmed that all U.S Attorneys would “prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Coronavirus-related frauds.”
According to the Attorney General’s announcement, the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) will manage the nation-wide reporting system, and the Attorney General directed all U.S. Attorneys to appoint a Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator. The release urged all persons with relevant information to report these concerns through the NCDF’s hotline (1-866-720-5721) or email (disaster@leo.gov). The DOJ also published a special webpage dedicated to informing the public about Coronavirus fraud and how to report these crimes.
“The Justice Department also confirmed that all U.S Attorneys would “prioritize the investigation and prosecution of Coronavirus-related frauds.”
Also published was a detailed article in the National Law Review explaining how whistleblowers can use the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act to hold fraudsters who misuse monies dedicated to fighting the adverse health or economic impacts of the Coronavirus accountable. The False Claims Act has extremely powerful anti-retaliation provisions, and also permits whistleblowers to obtain a financial reward.