It is estimated that the U.S. Government spends more than $500 billion annually on products and services purchased or procured from private contractors. With trillions more now appropriated in Covid-19 relief, acquisition activity by the Government is set to explode even higher. The risks to the American taxpayer from unscrupulous contractors attempting to profit through fraudulent or abusive practices have never been higher.
The Importance of Qui Tam Lawsuits to Fighting Procurement Fraud
Combating fraud in Government procurement has long been a high priority of the Justice Department. Qui tam lawsuits brought by whistleblowers under the False Claims Act are recognized as an important component of that effort. Indeed, Congress first enacted the False Claims – nicknamed “Lincoln’s Law” – during the Civil War precisely in response to fraud perpetrated by private contractors who defrauded the Union Army by selling it all manner of defective and substandard goods. A notorious example was sawdust passed off as gunpowder.
Some of the largest qui tam whistleblower cases and whistleblower rewards in history have involved procurement and contracting fraud. For example, in 2009, the global aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman paid $325 million to settle a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging that the company sold the government electronic components for use in satellites that it knew were faulty and likely to fail. The qui tam whistleblower who commenced the case received an award of $48.7 million.
Fraud is their game.
Integrity is yours.
哪些类型的行为构成采购欺诈？
政府购买广泛的产品和服务--从军事硬件和燃料到通信、车辆、软件、药品和医疗设备、海事服务、公路维护和建筑设备、房地产、畜牧业、研究、培训和教育等一切。最大的政府支出涉及国防、医疗保健、教育和培训、交通和农业。
采购欺诈基本上包括人为地抬高出售给政府的产品或服务的成本，或向政府提供与政府讨价还价的产品或服务。它涵盖了广泛的非法行为，包括：
- 提交虚假发票，要么夸大所提供的货物或服务的数量，采用高于合同规定的价格或开票率，要么对同一产品或服务开票一次以上（重复开票）。
- 销售有问题或缺陷的产品或货物，或不符合测试或检查要求的产品或货物，或不符合合同或监管规则、标准或规格的产品或货物。
- 夸大或虚报 "成本加成 "合同下发生的费用或与 "无标书 "或 "单一来源 "合同有关的预计费用。
- 虚报公司提供有关产品或服务的资格。例如，一些合同只允许有资格成为合格小企业的公司投标。
- 虚报雇员或其他人员执行某些任务或职能的资格或培训。
- 用未经授权的产品代替授权的产品，或错误地介绍产品或部件的类型、等级、质量或来源。例如，承包商可能以欺诈方式在需要新设备的合同中替换翻新或二手设备，或违反适用的 "购买美国产品 "要求，销售中国制造的产品而不是美国制造的产品。
- 通过不披露收到的折扣或回扣，或通过使用空壳公司或未披露的关联方交易来输送不正当的付款，来夸大成本、费用或报销。
- 与其他供应商勾结，操纵投标（串通投标）或分配政府合同的市场。
- 支付回扣、贿赂或不正当的酬金以获得政府合同或在竞争的供应商之间分配政府业务。
- 从 "固定价格 "合同中交叉收费或将成本转移到同一承包商与政府签订的其他 "成本加成 "合同中，从而在后者中多收费。
- 承包商在与政府谈判销售时夸大向私营部门客户收取的价格。
- 提交含有虚假或误导性信息或遗漏的投标或合同建议书。
- 伪造或篡改数据。
- 伪造进度报告或完工报告。
- 为未经授权的费用或成本开具账单。
If you know about procurement or contracting fraud against the Government, reach out to us for a free and confidential consultation with an experienced procurement fraud whistleblower lawyer.
