Commodities Fraud Whistleblower Lawyer

Our CFTC Whistleblower Attorneys Help Individuals Report Commodities Fraud and Seek Monetary Awards

Commodities fraud and commodity futures fraud are pervasive issues that cost investors untold sums every year. While the annual cost of fraud in the commodities and futures markets is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars, the true scale of the problem is unknown. This is part of the reason why it is so important for commodities fraud whistleblowers to come forward.

If you have information about federal commodities fraud, our attorneys can determine whether you are eligible to serve as a whistleblower. We help current employees, former employees, and other individuals file Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) whistleblower claims involving market manipulation, insider trading, and all other forms of fraud. Along with providing strong whistleblower protections, the CFTC also provides monetary incentives for whistleblowers to come forward, and our attorneys work with the CFTC to secure whistleblower awards on behalf of our clients when warranted.

The CFTC Whistleblower Program

The CFTC Whistleblower Program serves as a means for current employees, former employees, and other individuals to expose statutory and regulatory violations impacting the U.S. commodities and futures trading markets. This includes (but is by no means limited to) violations such as:

• Automated trading schemes
• Corrupt practices resulting in manipulation and fraud
• False reporting of trades and financial information
• Foreign currency trading fraud schemes
• Fraudulent statements and other disclosure violations involving futures and options contracts
• Insider trading
• Illegal manipulation of the futures and commodities markets (market manipulation schemes)
• Ponzi schemes
• Position limit violations
• Other types of financial fraud and investment scams

Under its Whistleblower Program, the CFTC primarily accepts complaints involving violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), and their enabling regulations. However, the CFTC Whistleblower Office accepts complaints involving other violations involving commodities, options, and futures contracts as well; and, if you have questions about disclosing any suspected violation, we strongly encourage you to speak with a commodities fraud whistleblower lawyer at our firm in strict confidence.

The CFTC Whistleblower Process

We assist whistleblowers with reporting violations of all statutes and regulations falling within the CFTC’s enforcement jurisdiction. While the CFTC is most often thought of as a regulatory agency as opposed to a law enforcement organization, it has become increasingly active in pursuing both civil penalties and criminal charges in recent years. In doing so, it has expressly stated that it relies on whistleblowers to come forward.

If you are considering coming forward as a commodities fraud whistleblower, here is a brief introduction to what you need to know about the CFTC whistleblower process:

1. Determining Your Eligibility

The first step in the process is to determine your eligibility. Our commodities fraud attorneys can determine if you are eligible to serve as a CFTC whistleblower. Making this determination will require a careful assessment of factors including (but not limited to):

• Whether you have “original information” based on insider knowledge or independent analysis;
• Whether there are any ongoing investigations involving the allegations at issue; and,
• To what extent (if any) you may be implicated in the alleged fraud.

Since CFTC whistleblowers must be able to provide “original information,” time is of the essence. Our attorneys are prepared to work diligently to assess your eligibility and then help you make an informed decision about whether to blow the whistle.

2. Assembling Your Documentation

If you decide to blow the whistle, one of the next key steps will be to assemble your documentation. Our law firm can assist with this step as well. To report fraud to the CFTC as a whistleblower, you must be able to provide evidence that suggests potential violations of federal law warrant further investigation.

3. Reporting CFTC Violations (Commodities and Futures Trading Fraud)

The CFTC specifically accepts whistleblower complaints involving violations of the CEA, Dodd-Frank Act, and other federal commodity laws and regulations. If you have information about any other form of unlawful conduct, you may need to file your complaint with a different federal agency (i.e., the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)) instead. If filing with the CFTC is the right choice, an experienced commodities fraud whistleblower lawyer at our firm can file the FTC’s Form Tip, Complaint, or Referral (Form TCR) on your behalf.

4. Working with the CFTC During Its Investigation

After filing your Form TCR, you should be prepared to work with the CFTC during its investigation. While this isn’t strictly required, it is a key step for maximizing your financial reward eligibility. If your protected disclosure leads to a successful enforcement action, you may be entitled to between 10% and 30% of the monetary sanctions recovered, and your level of assistance will be a key factor in determining the amount of your financial reward.

5. Applying for Your CFTC Whistleblower Reward

If you become eligible for a financial reward, you will need to claim your reward from the CFTC. If you wish to remain anonymous, you will need your commodities fraud whistleblower lawyer to claim your reward on your behalf. In any case, you will want to rely on your lawyer to help ensure that you receive an appropriate reward amount based on your role in the successful CFTC action.

How Our Commodities Fraud Whistleblower Lawyers Can Help

We provide several important services to prospective CFTC whistleblowers. If you are thinking about (or have questions about) coming forward, here are just some of the ways our commodities fraud whistleblower lawyers can help:

• We can explain the CFTC whistleblower process in detail. We can explain everything you need to know about the CFTC’s Whistleblower Program, including the filing requirements and eligibility criteria for monetary awards.
• We can determine if you have sufficient information in your possession. We can also advise you regarding collecting additional information, which may require a cautious approach (if additional information is needed).
• We can communicate directly with the CFTC’s Whistleblower Office. This will allow us to confirm whether you are eligible to come forward based on your possession of “original information” not already known to the Commission.
• We can help protect your identity. While the CFTC is required to protect whistleblower confidentiality, commodities fraud whistleblowers also have the option of coming forward anonymously if they have legal representation.
• We can guide you through the entire process. If you decide to serve as a commodities fraud whistleblower, we can guide you every step of the way while continuing to communicate directly with the CFTC on your behalf.

FAQs: Filing a Whistleblower Complaint with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

Contact Our CFTC Whistleblower Lawyers for a Free and Confidential Consultation

If you would like to speak with one of our CFTC whistleblower lawyers about coming forward, we invite you to get in touch. To schedule a free and confidential consultation as soon as possible, Call 888-680-1745 or tell us how we can reach you online today.