Trump Offers Up to $30,000 for Fraud Tips Weeks Before Midterms
Americans who report fraud involving taxpayer money could soon earn a payday of up to $30,000, under a new program President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance unveiled Tuesday, just two weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The $25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, or WHIP, will pay rewards for tips that lead to a fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action, Fox News reported. The Justice Department will run the program.
How the Program Works
Tips can be submitted through fraud.gov. But simply sending in an allegation is not enough to collect a reward. The tip has to check out.
According to Justice Department guidance, rewards generally range from $10,000 to $30,000. To qualify, tipsters must provide "original, truthful and complete information," submit it voluntarily, cooperate fully and help lead to criminal charges, Newsweek reported. People who took part in the fraud themselves are generally not eligible.
Rewards can be paid early for useful information, without waiting for fines or forfeitures to be collected.
Despite the timing, the program is not about election fraud. It targets fraud involving federal programs and taxpayer dollars.
That includes federal health care fraud and fraud involving agencies such as the departments of Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Education and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Small Business Administration. The Justice Department specifically highlighted fraud involving hospice care, home health care, day care and special services.
What Trump Said
Speaking at an Oval Office event, Trump described the reward as a kind of commission.
"If anybody turns anybody in, you get a 1% commission," Trump said, adding that members of the media are eligible too, ABC 33/40 reported. "You have to prove that you were the one and prove that it was you."
He suggested the payout would be "one percent of the fraud reported," even if the amount is "a billion dollars," according to Newsweek. It is not clear how the "1%" figure lines up with the $30,000 cap the White House announced.
"With this incentive, it's going to keep a lot of people honest," Trump said.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said, "This administration has zero tolerance for individuals who steal from Americans."
A $10,000 Check for an Online Journalist
At the event, Trump presented a $10,000 check to Nick Shirley, an independent journalist and YouTuber. Shirley posted a video in December 2025 questioning whether several Minnesota day care centers were legitimate, showing what appeared to be empty facilities.
The White House credits his reporting with helping prompt a surge of federal investigators into the state. The former CEO of one of the centers featured in his video pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and conspiracy. Prosecutors said she stole more than $4.6 million through false child care assistance claims and $850,000 through a federal child nutrition program tied to the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scandal.
"Well, numbers don't lie, and convictions don't lie either," Shirley said.
Part of a Bigger Push Before the Midterms
The program builds on the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which Trump created by executive order in March and put Vance in charge of. The task force coordinates efforts across federal agencies to detect fraud and prevent improper payments.
The announcement is the latest in a string of moves from the White House as the midterms approach. Over the weekend, Trump promised Kentucky a $100 million drug plant investment if Republicans win. The push comes as his approval rating recently hit a new second-term low in a Pew poll.
Anyone who suspects fraud involving federal programs can submit a tip at fraud.gov.
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