As Companies Utilize the CARES Act, Some Are Committing Fraud

- Both companies and financial institutions could commit fraud with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

- Some distributors can commit fraud while selling items to the government

- Whistleblowers who notice this fraud need to be protected

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May 12, 2020, 10:05 ET

PHILADELPHIA, May 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the federal government spending record amounts to help the nation cope with the economic fallout from COVID-19, some companies are taking the opportunity to commit fraud.

"Trillions of taxpayer dollars are on the table and being doled out at a very rapid rate," said Brian McCormick of Ross Feller Casey, LLP. "That combination makes the situation ripe for rip-offs."

McCormick, who is widely considered among the nation's top whistleblower lawyers, said a company could commit CARES Act fraud in three basic ways. For one, a company could defraud the government by padding employment or payroll amounts to get more money from the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP. Second, banks and financial institutions could commit fraud by approving PPP loans using misleading or unverified information. And third, companies could sell products to the government using illegal pricing methods or price gauging.

"While I wish we lived in a world where an employee can report fraud free of the fear of retribution or retaliation, that is not the case, unfortunately. Any employee considering reporting suspected fraud should speak to an experienced whistleblower attorney who can advise them and explain what protections are available to them," McCormick said.

When someone reports a business that has committed fraud, they might be eligible to collect a financial reward through various federal and state statutes, including the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act also provides whistleblowers with wide protection from retaliation.

"Employees may also be nervous that they can be blamed or have exposure themselves for their employer's criminal actions. People need to be out in front of these issues," McCormick said.

Ross Feller Casey is actively investigating potential cases of fraud relating to the government's recent COVID-19 economic relief packages.

For more information about the kinds of fraud in light of the CARES Act, please visit: https://www.rossfellercasey.com/practice-areas/whistleblower-litigation/

Ross Feller Casey, LLP, is a Philadelphia-based law firm with a national reputation for representing whistleblowers who have discovered their companies are committing fraud against the federal government.

For an interview with Brian McCormick, please call 215 687 7965 or email him at [email protected]

SOURCE Ross Feller Casey, LLP