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Anonymity and confidentiality

A comparison of what each published program says about names, lawyers, and disclosure to a defendant.

Not legal advice. Program rules are set by the government sources linked on this page.

Last updated October 21, 2026

Programs use different words for the same worry: will my name get out. The sources below do not use one rule.

Side by side

Program What the cited source says
SEC A person may submit anonymously and remain eligible for an award if a lawyer submits the tip and the lawyer certification. The SEC still describes situations where identity can be disclosed, including a court case.
DOJ fraud tip reward The FAQ limits public disclosure of information that could reveal a tipster, with exceptions for law, Department policy, and disclosure to a defendant. It also says people selected for payment are contacted.
America.gov/fraud The page says a report is encrypted, the site keeps nothing, and a name is optional. It also says an award may depend on including contact information.
IRS award claim The whistleblower must provide contact information and sign under penalty of perjury. The IRS says it protects identity to the extent the law allows. A separate path lets a person report anonymously without claiming an award.
FinCEN statute An anonymous award claim requires counsel if the information was submitted anonymously. Identity is disclosed before payment. The statute limits disclosure of identifying information, with exceptions that include a public proceeding.
CFTC The June 2026 award release says the agency does not disclose information that could reasonably reveal identity, and does not name the case or the exact award. This edition did not verify a separate anonymous-filing rule.
False Claims Act The complaint is filed under seal. The relator is a party. The primer does not describe an anonymous qui tam.

What to read before omitting a name

If the goal is an award, read the eligibility page for that program. Several of them require the government to be able to reach a person, or require a signed form. If the goal is only to alert law enforcement, the portal language on America.gov/fraud is the sentence to read, and it is a different choice from an award claim.

This page is a reading guide. It is not advice about whether a particular filing will stay confidential.

Questions readers ask

If a portal says a name is optional, does that preserve an award?

Not necessarily. America.gov/fraud says a name is optional. The Justice Department’s reward FAQ says people it decides to pay are contacted. The IRS requires a signature to claim an award. Read the program that matches the conduct. 1 2 4

Does filing under seal make a qui tam anonymous?

The Justice Department primer describes a sealed complaint that is not served on the defendant until the court allows it. The relator is still the person who brings the case. Seal is a timing rule, not the SEC’s anonymous-filing procedure. 6

Sources

  1. SEC Whistleblower Program, frequently asked questions U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
  2. Criminal Tip Rewards Pilot Program, frequently asked questions U.S. Department of Justice
  3. America.gov/fraud reporting page America.gov
  4. Submit a whistleblower claim for award, IRS Internal Revenue Service
  5. 31 U.S.C. § 5323, U.S. Code 2023 edition GovInfo
  6. The False Claims Act, A Primer U.S. Department of Justice
  7. CFTC release 9245-26, June 1, 2026 U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Program pages

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of the Whistleblower

SEC whistleblower

Awards of 10% to 30% of monetary sanctions collected when an SEC enforcement action orders more than $1 million and the whistleblower’s information leads to that action.

Internal Revenue Service, Whistleblower Office

IRS whistleblower

The IRS pays awards from proceeds it collects because of a whistleblower’s information. Mandatory awards under section 7623(b) have dollar and income thresholds. Smaller matters are discretionary.

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, U.S. Department of the Treasury

FinCEN whistleblower

A Treasury program for information about Bank Secrecy Act, IEEPA, Trading With the Enemy Act, and Kingpin Act violations. FinCEN says it will pay awards after its regulation is final.

U.S. Department of Justice, National Fraud Enforcement Division

DOJ fraud tip reward

An early-stage Justice Department reward of $10,000 to $30,000 for specified fraud tips, paid only in the Department’s discretion after criminal charges are unsealed.

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division

False Claims Act

A civil statute that lets a private person sue in the government’s name over false claims for federal money, and share in a recovery if the suit succeeds.