August 24, 2026
The Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division recently announced its enforcement priorities. And, in doing so, it emphasized the federal government’s expansion of its efforts to find, investigate, and prosecute fraud across the country. For whistleblowers, this could be an important moment.
According to the DOJ memorandum, the new National Fraud Enforcement Division will focus on fraud that harms taxpayers, patients, consumers, government programs, and the American economy. The DOJ says federal fraud losses may reach hundreds of billions of dollars each year. In response, it is building a larger, more data-driven enforcement division with prosecutors, investigators, asset recovery attorneys, appellate lawyers, technology specialists, and data analysts working together nationwide.
The DOJ’s first priority is fraud involving public trust and financial integrity. This includes government procurement fraud, defective pricing, bid rigging, self-dealing, bribery, product substitution, billing fraud, and fraud involving benefit or grant programs. Whistleblowers who know about contractors overbilling the government, rigging bids, substituting cheaper products, or falsely claiming compliance with contract terms may have valuable information.
Health care fraud is another major enforcement priority. The DOJ specifically identifies telemedicine fraud, Medicare and Medicaid fraud, controlled substance diversion, home health schemes, hospice scams, kickbacks, deceptive marketing, and unsafe products or services. These cases often begin with insiders: billing employees, nurses, physicians, compliance staff, sales representatives, coders, or administrators who see false claims, medically unnecessary services, improper referrals, or pressure to put profits ahead of patients.
The DOJ also plans to focus on tax fraud. This includes false tax returns, unethical return preparers, hidden income, abusive tax shelters, and tax crimes connected to broader fraud schemes. Individuals with inside knowledge of false filings, sham transactions, fake deductions, or schemes designed to mislead the IRS may be able to help expose serious misconduct.
Global trade and customs fraud are in the DOJ’s sights as well. The memorandum identifies customs evasion, country-of-origin fraud, undervaluing imported goods to avoid duties, sanctions evasion, illicit transshipment, and forced labor schemes. Companies that lie about where products are made, hide suppliers, evade tariffs, or use tainted supply chains may face increased scrutiny.
Finally, the DOJ says it will continue pursuing corporate misconduct. Companies that profit from fraud, ignore red flags, or pressure employees to participate in illegal conduct may be held accountable. At the same time, the DOJ says it will reward companies that voluntarily self-disclose, cooperate, and fix problems. That makes timing especially important for whistleblowers. Waiting too long can allow a company to control the narrative first.
If you have documents, emails, billing records, spreadsheets, internal reports, or firsthand knowledge of fraud, you should speak with an experienced whistleblower attorney before reporting. A lawyer can help evaluate whether your information may support a whistleblower claim, preserve confidentiality where possible, and present the evidence effectively to the government.
Whistleblowers are often the first people to see fraud from the inside. With DOJ increasing its enforcement efforts, your information could matter.
