Committing fraud is a severe crime, but the damages can significantly affect local communities if the target is a government agency or project. When someone financially defrauds the government, people who need the support might suffer, especially when it involves health services and other essentials. Policies, including the state’s False Claims Act, are in place to address and deter these incidents.
This law allows anyone to bring about a legal response to specific forms of fraud through qui tam civil actions. Still, it might only cover incidents that meet certain conditions. Typically, a qui tam claim can be appropriate for the following:
- Someone intentionally acted or caused to pursue payment for a fraudulent claim.
- A person deliberately used inaccurate or false documents to support a claim.
- An individual authorized to hold funds for government use inappropriately spends them, using less than the allotted budget for the money’s intended purpose.
- Someone issued a false receipt to defraud the government after spending money and resources for a specific purpose.
- A person receives hush money or bribes from someone who is a public officer.
- An individual deliberately hides information that can lead to the discovery of fraudulent activities involving government resources.
Although filing a qui tam action is not the only way to address these issues, it could be an effective way to allow anyone to intervene, which could lead to civil penalties.
Determining if an incident is a qui tam offense
It can be challenging to determine if an incident qualifies as a qui tam offense, especially if there is not enough information about it. When suspicions arise, seeking legal counsel could be helpful. Experienced insight can help someone understand whether taking a qui tam civil action is possible or other options are more appropriate.
