On October 20, 2026, the White House put $25 million behind citizen fraud detection — and handed the first $10,000 bounty check to an independent investigator. FraudNJ translates that precedent to New Jersey: evidence-first field protocol, shielded intake, and a clear path to WHIP awards and False Claims Act relator shares.
On October 20, 2026, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance hosted independent investigative journalist Nick Shirley in the Oval Office. Shirley had spent months documenting suspicious childcare and special-services providers in Minnesota. The White House used the moment to announce WHIP — the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program — backed by a $25 million Treasury commitment.
Shirley publishes on-the-ground investigations of daycare and autism-service providers, turning public records and sidewalk footage into a national story.
The President and Vice President announce WHIP alongside Shirley, presenting him the inaugural $10,000 award check for his original investigative work.
DOJ confirms awards of $10,000 to $30,000 for truthful, original information that leads to criminal charges — paid earlier than traditional whistleblower programs.
FraudNJ adapts the model for NJ: public-records requests, lawful field documentation, chain-of-custody discipline, and encrypted routing to the right authority.
“The signal is not a viral video. It is a documented, original, actionable lead.”
— FraudNJ operating principle
Hospice · home health · day care · special services
Per qualifying tip, at DOJ discretion
Two distinct lanes: a fast WHIP administrative award, and a longer-horizon qui tam relator share under the New Jersey False Claims Act. Move the controls to see how the math behaves.
Illustrative math only. WHIP awards are discretionary, capped at $30,000 per qualifying tip, and contingent on original information leading to criminal charges. Qui tam recovery depends on proof, damages, penalties, intervention, and litigation costs.
A direct award generally between $10,000 and $30,000, paid earlier in the enforcement cycle. Designed for original, truthful tips that lead to criminal charges in covered federal program areas.
A percentage of the state's recovery — 15–25% if the Attorney General intervenes, 25–30% if the state declines and the relator proceeds. Filed under seal; counsel is essential.
No bounty is guaranteed. Awards are discretionary. Taxes may apply. Filing incorrectly can destroy eligibility or expose you to liability. Use counsel before submitting a sealed FCA action.
Public-records signals, procurement anomalies, and reader field reports — organized into inspectable files. These are analytical patterns, not accusations.
Pattern, not proof: inclusion on this board does not allege wrongdoing by any person or entity. Every file requires independent verification, public records, and lawful evidence before referral.
Read field protocolAudiovisual field notes with timecode, location, and chain-of-custody context. Preview the reel; verified reviewers can request full files through the shielded intake.
Evidence standard: previews are stylized reconstructions. Source footage, original metadata, and hash manifests are stored privately and released only to verified investigators or authorities.
Drop field evidenceThe difference between a viral clip and an actionable case is discipline. This is the operating sequence we recommend to every citizen investigator.
File a narrow OPRA request. Ask for enrollment counts, invoices, inspection reports, vendor payments, and subrecipient lists. Track the ticket.
Stay on public sidewalks. Do not trespass, obstruct, or film into private windows. Narrate time, place, and what you observe. Avoid minors and bystander PII.
Keep original files untouched. Record SHA-256 hashes. Back up to two locations. Write contemporaneous notes with dates, times, and sources.
Use a pseudonym. Strip unnecessary PII. Upload through encrypted intake. Keep identity and evidence in separate compartments.
Route federal angles to WHIP at america.gov/fraud. Evaluate NJ FCA with counsel. If retaliation is underway, preserve CEPA evidence immediately.
// Narrow, dated, and format-specific.
Records requested under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.:
1. Current and prior-year enrollment rosters for [PROGRAM] in [COUNTY / MUNICIPALITY].
2. Provider payment ledgers, including vendor name, address, amount, and payment date.
3. Site inspection reports and corrective-action notices for [ADDRESS / PROVIDER].
4. Lists of subrecipients, directors, and registered agent addresses.
5. All correspondence regarding [SPECIFIC ADDRESS / CONTRACT] from [DATE RANGE].
Format: electronic (PDF + CSV where available).
Requested: expedited review and public-interest fee waiver.
Requester: [NAME / ORGANIZATION] · [EMAIL] · [DATE]
Template only · verify agency-specific portals and deadlines
New Jersey offers real protections for employees and real upside for relators — but each lane has strict procedural rules. Select a shield to review the practical breakdown.
The Conscientious Employee Protection Act bars employers from retaliating against employees who disclose or threaten to disclose activity the employee reasonably believes is illegal, fraudulent, or a threat to public health and safety.
Statutory references are provided for education. This is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Read statute ↗Pseudonym-first by design. Share what you know, point us to the paper trail, and opt into bounty consideration only if you choose. A human reviews every priority file.
No account. Use a callsign. Contact details are optional unless you want a response or bounty follow-up.
You decide whether a file is routed for WHIP, FCA, or media review. No silent enrollment.
Target review window: 72 hours for priority files. We may request records, clarify scope, or route to counsel.
Do not submit Social Security numbers, medical records, privileged communications, or anything obtained unlawfully. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are a public employee facing retaliation, preserve every message and contact counsel promptly.
Public-records appeals, court filing fees, transcription, and travel cost money. The Citizen Defense & OPRA Fund keeps investigations independent — no government grants, no vendor money, no strings.
FraudNJ is independent civic media, not a 501(c)(3) charity. Contributions are not tax-deductible. We do not accept money from agencies or program vendors.
Fee waivers, denied-request appeals, and the copies that make a case legible.
Partisan advertising, paid tips, or anything that compromises editorial independence.
Scan with your phone camera to email the fund desk. You will receive the verified Zelle handle and a payment memo. Never send to a handle you have not verified.
Verify the handle independently · Zelle transfers are final
Short answers to the legal, practical, and payout questions that decide whether a tip becomes a case.
Send a question through the shielded intake with the lane set to “Other public-program fraud.” Do not include sensitive personal data in a general question.
In public spaces, the First Amendment generally protects recording officials performing their duties, and New Jersey's Attorney General guidance recognizes a bystander's right to record law enforcement. But “public” is doing real work in that sentence: do not enter private property, film into private windows, or record a conversation you are not part of. New Jersey is a one-party consent state for conversations you participate in, not a license to record everyone else.
Two different lanes. WHIP awards are generally $10,000–$30,000 per qualifying tip that leads to criminal charges, at DOJ's discretion. A New Jersey False Claims Act relator share is a percentage of the state's recovery: 15–25% if the Attorney General intervenes, 25–30% if the state declines and the relator proceeds. Large recoveries can produce large shares — but only after proof, litigation, and costs. Nothing is guaranteed.
Not to send an anonymous tip. You should absolutely consult counsel before filing a sealed False Claims Act action, negotiating a relator share, or if you are a public employee facing retaliation under CEPA. A qui tam complaint has strict sealing, service, and timing rules; an error can forfeit the case or your share. FraudNJ is not a law firm and cannot represent you.
CEPA, N.J.S.A. 34:19-1 et seq., prohibits retaliation against employees who disclose or threaten to disclose activity they reasonably believe is illegal, fraudulent, or a threat to public health and safety. It covers a broad range of employers and public bodies, but it has a short filing window and procedural requirements. Preserve every text, email, performance review, and schedule change. Contact a CEPA lawyer quickly.
DOJ describes it as truthful, complete information provided in writing that is not already public and that leads to criminal charges in a covered program area. You must not have actively participated in the fraud, and you must cooperate. More detail beats a hunch: names, addresses, contracts, dates, payment records, and the specific false claim. Read the official terms at justice.gov/fraud/whistleblower.
We default to pseudonyms and minimize the personal data we collect. But no web form can promise perfect anonymity. Your network, device, email provider, and any attached file metadata can identify you. If anonymity is existential, use a hardened device, a separate network, and a privacy-preserving contact channel — and consider speaking with counsel before submitting. Never include your name in a document you intended to anonymize.
Do not trespass, break into systems, use someone else's credentials, impersonate an official, secretly record conversations you are not part of, film minors, publish private medical data, alter files, or confront people. Do not publish a name before you have documented the conduct. The fastest way to lose a real case is to hand the other side a counterclaim.
Our target is 72 hours for priority files, but volume and verification needs vary. We may ask for public-record citations, original files, or a scoped interview. We will not promise a story, a referral, or a payout. If a matter is time-sensitive — retaliation, destruction of records, ongoing harm — say so in the first line of your summary.
WHIP eligibility changes, NJ FCA rulings, OPRA fee-waiver wins, and the field notes that don't fit in a thread. One email. No noise.
This is an analytical lead, not proof of wrongdoing. Verify through lawful public records before naming anyone or making a referral.
Original file, device hash, and capture log remain off-platform. Preview imagery is a reconstruction for this protocol demo; no source footage is embedded here.