SEC Issues $12 Million Award to Joint Whistleblowers

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced a $12 million award to be split among three joint whistleblowers who provided critical information and assistance in an SEC enforcement action.

The joint whistleblowers provided the SEC significant information and extensive cooperation, which helped expand the scope of the investigation and the charges brought in the enforcement action and also saved the agency substantial time and resources. The joint whistleblowers met numerous times with SEC's enforcement staff and certain of the joint whistleblowers suffered hardships due to their whistleblowing.

"Whistleblowers play a key role in helping the SEC hold wrongdoers accountable," said Creola Kelly, Chief of the SEC's Office of the Whistleblower. "Even where an investigation is already open, whistleblowers may contribute by providing new information about misconduct."

Payments to whistleblowers are made out of an investor protection fund, established by Congress, which is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by securities law violators. 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 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.