CFTC Whistleblower Lawyer
Do you know of fraud within the commodity futures industry? If so, a whistleblower lawyer can help you expose the misconduct to the CFTC to collect a financial bounty.
The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) investigates violations of the Commodity Exchange Act. The types of misconduct can take many forms. All forms are a threat to users of the futures and derivatives markets. The Dodd-Frank Act empowered the CFTC to reward people with knowledge of violations. Those who share violation information are whistleblowers.
These rewards have the potential to range into the millions of dollars. Dodd-Frank has granted a number of strong legal protections. Whistleblowers have the potential to remain anonymous. Doing so requires working with legal counsel. A CFTC whistleblower lawyer from Meissner Associates can provide needed legal experience. They can give the guidance your situation demands.
Submitting a Whistleblower Tip to the CFTC
Before submitting a tip to the CFTC, it’s important to know what criteria your information must meet. Certain criteria must be met to be eligible for a whistleblower reward. The Dodd-Frank Act laid out these requirements in great detail:
- Voluntary Information – To receive a reward, you must come forward without having been asked.
- Original Information – The tip you give must contain information that the CFTC did not have. If someone provides the same tip before you, you will not receive a reward. It is good to move fast once you’ve become aware of fraud.
- Sanctions Recovered – You only get a reward if the CFTC enforces sanctions due to the misconduct. Your reward is a percentage of these sanctions. If the CFTC doesn’t collect money, you can’t get a reward.
- Sanctions in Excess of $1 Million – The amount recovered must be more than $1 million to get a reward. The CFTC will grant you between 10 and 30 percent of the money collected.
Whistleblowers sometimes delay before giving their tip. They may worry their information won’t meet one of these criteria. They could be left without protection. By working with a whistleblower lawyer, you can make a better decision. You can determine if your tip is likely to meet requirements. You can also remain anonymous and protect your privacy.
Factors That Determine Your Whistleblower Reward
CFTC whistleblower rewards can vary a lot. The amount of your reward depends on the amount of sanctions recovered. It also has a range from 10 to 30 percent of the recovered amount.
When figuring this percentage, the CFTC looks at several factors:
- How quickly you submitted your tip regarding futures trading violations
- Whether you had some guilt in the violation
- How much you were able to help during the CFTC investigation
- Whether you first reported the violation to an internal program
- Whether you interfered with an ongoing internal program audit
In the event that you are guilty for some of the acts that took place, you could face legal action. You may have to pay sanctions yourself. It’s important to note that the amount of sanctions you have to pay does not detract from the $1 million sanction threshold. What you end up owing will obviously reduce your reward.
What’s more, you do not have to be an insider in order to submit a tip to the CFTC. Let’s say you have noticed commodities fraud through some form of independent analysis. A whistleblower lawyer from our firm will still be able to assist you. We can help with submitting your tip and protecting your legal rights as a whistleblower.
What the CFTC Is Looking For
The CFTC is mostly interested in investigating and prosecuting violations of the Commodity Exchange Act. Violations can come in many forms. Some are subtle and widespread schemes. Others are obvious violations. The CFTC will be interested in info on any type of violation. The faster you act, the more money you may be eligible for. You may get a higher percentage of the sanctions recovered.
Listed below are a few examples of fraudulent futures and derivatives trading. A whistleblower lawyer can help you expose these to the CFTC:
- Registration violations
- Wash sales
- Pyramid schemes
- Off-exchange fraud
- Fraudulent misrepresentations
- Omissions
- Front running futures trading
- Swap price manipulation
- Interest rate manipulation
CFTC Whistleblower Protections
The Dodd-Frank Act granted a number of legal protections to whistleblowers. There are mostly two parts to the protections. First, in most cases, you will likely be able to remain anonymous. Throughout the investigation, you can remain private. You only come out as a whistleblower if you choose to. To choose this option requires retaining counsel. This mean that you’ll need to work with a whistleblower lawyer.
Second, you are protected from retaliation. Those who are a part of the CFTC investigation can’t come after you. Therefore, if you are an insider, you cannot be fired or demoted. In the event that you are, you can get your job back. You are also eligible for lost wages. You can be protected as an outsider who provided an independent analysis of futures fraud, as well. You cannot be harassed or threatened by the object of the CFTC investigation.
These legal protections are robust. They allow you to feel comfortable with coming forward. You can be greatly rewarded for your knowledge while enjoying the security that comes with these legal safeguards.
Become a CFTC Whistleblower
Meissner Associates has a long history of helping whistleblowers across industries. We can expose the wrongdoing they have encountered. We’ve been doing so since 2001. Our firm even had a hand in the Dodd-Frank rules that reward and protect whistleblowers. Our firsthand knowledge will directly benefit you in your future as a whistleblower.
If you have knowledge of futures and derivatives fraud, you might be eligible for a large reward from the CFTC. Waiting too long can decrease the amount you may receive. It’s important to act as soon as possible. For more information, check out our CFTC whistleblower FAQ.
Submit your information for a free and confidential tip evaluation today. Simply complete the form below, or call our office directly at 1-866-764-3100. An experienced CFTC whistleblower lawyer wants to help you through the process and onto your financial award.