NEW: White House Announces Cash Rewards For Credible Tips On Fraud

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance announced the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program on Tuesday alongside independent reporter Nick Shirley, who has extensively documented public assistance fraud in Minnesota and elsewhere. The initiative allocates $25 million, administered by the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, to provide cash rewards for credible public tips on fraud involving federal programs, including public assistance benefits.

Under the program, also referred to in Justice Department materials as the Criminal Tip Rewards Pilot Program, individuals who submit original, truthful, and complete information that leads to criminal charges, a fraud conviction, or a significant federal enforcement action may receive rewards ranging from $10,000 to $30,000.

Payments occur at or around the charging stage rather than after final resolution. Eligible tips must relate to federal health care offenses involving programs such as Medicare or Medicaid, or fraud on benefits administered by the Departments of Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Education, Veterans Affairs, or the Small Business Administration.

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President Donald J. Trump announces the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program:

"All Americans will now be able to go to the https://t.co/AUttY8ps4P and report cases of corruption and theft of taxpayer dollars in their communities… If you turn somebody in and you let's say… pic.twitter.com/Xupl1svTms

— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) October 20, 2026

The program prioritizes hospice fraud, home health care fraud, day care fraud, and special services fraud. According to a White House fact sheet, tips can be submitted at fraud.gov or america.gov/fraud. The Justice Department retains sole discretion over awards, which are not guaranteed, and the pilot runs for an initial three-year term.

During the announcement, President Trump described the payments as a one percent commission on the amount of fraud uncovered. “I will be the arbitrator of all of these decisions. It’ll be a binding arbitration,” he said.

The president added that he would “determine whether or not the person is deserving, and I will be very generous.” Trump further noted that journalists could participate.

“The president has said it must stop. It is stopping. And if you want to help us stop it, you get to share in the rewards,” Vice President Vance, who chairs the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud established by executive order, stated during the event.

According to the White House Fraud Ledger, the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud has, since January 2025, uncovered an estimated $260.7 billion in fraud, stopped $72 billion in annualized payments through administrative actions, and enforced $58.9 billion through indictments, settlements, and civil penalties. These totals include actions involving public assistance programs such as SNAP and Medicaid.

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