Anonymous Tips to the SEC Whistleblower Office
Yes, a whistleblower can submit an anonymous tip to the SEC Whistleblower Office and be eligible for an award, but only if they have an attorney represent them in connection with their submission to the SEC. An experienced SEC whistleblower attorney can skillfully guide you through the SEC whistleblower process, maximizing the likelihood that your identity is not revealed to unauthorized parties.
We have successfully represented whistleblowers that obtained awards while remaining anonymous.
Contact us today to find out the strategies that we have successfully employed to secure SEC whistleblower awards for our whistleblower clients.
The SEC is committed to protecting whistleblowers’ identities to the fullest extent possible. It would be difficult for the SEC to receive the best fraud-exposing tips if it did not take steps to protect whistleblowers’ confidentiality. For example, the SEC will often issue awards and provide no information about the whistleblower or even the enforcement action.
There are limits, however, to the SEC’s ability to shield your identity, and in certain circumstances, the SEC must disclose it to outside entities. You should consult with an experienced whistleblower attorney for more details on your specific claim.
The SEC must maintain the confidentiality of the identity of each whistleblower, subject to certain exceptions. The SEC and any officer or employee of the SEC shall not disclose any information, including information provided by a whistleblower to the SEC, which could reasonably be expected to reveal the identity of a whistleblower, except in accordance with the provisions of section 552a of title 5, United States Code, unless and until required to be disclosed to a defendant or respondent in connection with a public proceeding instituted by the SEC or certain specific entities listed in paragraph (C) of Section 21F(h)(2) of the Exchange Act.
Section 21F(h)(2) also allows the SEC to share information received from whistleblowers with certain domestic and foreign regulatory and law enforcement agencies. However, the statute requires the domestic entities to maintain such information as confidential, and requires foreign entities to maintain such information in accordance with such assurances of confidentiality as the SEC deems appropriate.
Click below to hear SEC whistleblower lawyer Matt Stock’s tips for SEC whistleblowers:
SEC Whistleblower Law Practice
For more information about SEC whistleblower rewards and bounties, contact the SEC whistleblower lawyers at Zuckerman Law at 202-262-8959.
To learn more about the SEC Whistleblower Program, download Zuckerman Law’s eBook: SEC Whistleblower Program: Tips from SEC Whistleblower Attorneys to Maximize an SEC Whistleblower Award:
How to Qualify for an SEC Whistleblower Award
Whistleblower Protections for SEC Whistleblowers
SEC Whistleblower Bounties
SEC Whistleblower Process
Anti-Retaliation Protections for SEC Whistleblowers
Protections for SEC Whistleblowers Post-Digital Realty (11-6-2020) whistleblower_lawyers_012017_infographicYes, you can submit an anonymous tip and still receive an award if you have an attorney represent you in connection with your submission. In these cases, your submissions will not have to include your name, and you’ll be able to identify any information or evidence that you provide the SEC that could expose you as the whistleblower.
