By Emel Akan
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance announced on Tuesday the launch of a $25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program (WHIP).
The program is designed to reward Americans who help expose misuse of public funds.
Under the initiative, individuals who provide tips that result in a successful fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action are eligible to receive 1 percent of the amount of the fraud, Trump said.
“We are giving a commission to that person of 1 percent. It’s a lot of money, and if it’s 10 billion, 200 billion, 400 billion, we’re giving a 1 percent commission to that person,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
The Department of Justice will manage the program, and Americans will be able to submit tips online at fraud.gov.
As part of Tuesday’s Oval Office announcement, Trump invited independent reporter Nick Shirley to recognize his efforts to uncover alleged fraud at daycare facilities in Minnesota.
In December last year, Shirley shared a video showing empty daycare centers and spoke with people nearby who said they had never seen children at those facilities. The video went viral, leading to several investigations, arrests, and new charges by law enforcement.
In July, Fahima Mahamud, who appeared in Shirley’s video, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government as part of the Feeding Our Future scandal.
“Every day, President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud is zeroing in on the rampant abuse of taxpayer dollars and giving Americans the accountability they deserve,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told The Epoch Times in a statement.
“This administration has zero tolerance for individuals who steal from Americans.”
On March 16, Trump signed an executive order officially creating an anti-fraud task force headed by Vance.
Since January 2025, the task force has identified more than $260 billion in fraud. Of this amount, approximately $72 billion has been stopped annually through administrative actions such as provider suspensions and rule changes. Additionally, $60 billion has been recovered through indictments, settlements, and civil penalties.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
