General Schemes vs. Specific Claims

The qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private individuals ("relators") to bring suit on behalf of the federal government and keep a percentage of the proceeds, continue to be some of the most potent weapons in the government's antifraud arsenal. In fiscal year 2013, over three-quarters of the $3.8 billion recovered by the Department of Justice (DOJ) from FCA cases came from cases brought by relators. Over that same period, relators brought 752 new FCA suits.