YOU ONLY HAVE A CASE UNDER THE FALSE CLAIMS ACT IF THE FRAUD IS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. IN OTHER WORDS, THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN DEPRIVED OF MONEY, PROPERTY OR A RIGHT. THIS CAN BE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND/OR A STATE (AS LONG AS THAT STATE HAS ITS OWN STATE FALSE CLAIMS ACT).

THIS IS CRITICAL. IT CANNOT BE BASED ON SUSPICION, YOU WILL NEED PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE OBTAINED IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT, WHICH CAN INCLUDE EMAILS, SPREADSHEETS, CONTRACTS, BILLS, TRAINING MATERIALS, PRESENTATIONS, COPIES OF CANCELLED CHECKS, VOICEMAILS, AUDIO OR VIDEOTAPE. FROM YOUR EVIDENCE, THE FACTS WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE AND HOW OF THE FRAUD SHOULD BE CLEAR. ALSO, THE EVIDENCE CANNOT HAVE ALREADY BEEN DISCLOSED PUBLICLY IN ANY WAY, IT MUST BE NEW, SECRET INFORMATION.

THE TIMING IS IMPORTANT. IF YOU HAVE A CASE, YOU MUST FILE WITHIN SIX YEARS OF THE DATE ON WHICH THE VIOLATION IS COMMITTED, OR, IF THE FRAUD IS HIDDEN, WITHIN THREE YEARS OF ITS DISCOVERY (BUT STILL NO MORE THAN 10 YEARS FROM THE DATE IT WAS COMMITTED).

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO QUESTIONS 1-3, YOU MAY HAVE A CASE! GET IN TOUCH WITH PROTECTUS OR ANOTHER LAW FIRM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. DO NOT DISCLOSE THE FACTS TO ANYONE EXCEPT A LAWYER SO THAT YOU ARE NOT MAKING A PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF THE FACTS UNTIL YOU FILE YOUR CASE.