Trump Introduces Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program

WASHINGTON—On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced a new program aimed at encouraging individuals to report fraud, offering a one percent commission on the funds recovered from fraudsters.

The program, presented by Trump along with Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office, featured independent journalist Nick Shirley, who highlighted alleged fraudulent activities at the “Quality Learning Center” in Minnesota.

Trump noted that journalists and citizens can visit fraud.gov, a platform designed by Chief Design Officer Joe Gebbia, to report instances of fraud in their communities.

“If you turn someone in and, let’s say, report, and you find a billion dollars, we’re giving a commission of one percent to that person,” Trump explained, emphasizing the potential earnings. “It’s a lot of money, and if it’s $10 billion, $200 billion, $400 billion, we’re giving a one percent commission to that person. You have to prove that you were the one, and prove that it was you.”

The president also encouraged reporters to get involved. “If a reporter turns somebody in, you’ll have to get approval, perhaps from your wonderful newspaper, but if you turn somebody in, you get a one percent commission. You may turn it down or you may think, ‘I’m not going to be a reporter any longer. This is too easy,’” he joked.

Trump expressed optimism about the program, predicting that the “phone will be ringing off the hook” and that it would support the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vice President JD Vance.

According to Vance, the idea for the commission came about during a discussion about engaging citizens to help report fraud. “The president said, ‘Well, do a commission, do an incentive program. Actually reward people when they help save the country and save the American taxpayer a lot of money. Then they should get to share in the benefits that they’ve created,’” Vance recounted.

He added that both he and Trump were pleased to have Shirley there. “And the final thing that I’ll say here is we’re… actually thrilled to be joined by Nick Shirley, who, as the president said, has done more than anybody that I’ve met recently as a citizen journalist to uncover the fraud. Nick is going to get a financial reward for doing so. I know that’s not why he did it,” Vance concluded.

Shirley, in his remarks, noted that there has never been an incentive to expose fraud until now. “But now finally people have an incentive to actually go out and expose fraud, and when you expose fraud, you help save America. People understand that,” he said. “These fraudsters take from the poor and needy who actually need the services that we all work hard to pay for… and they then buy Mercedes, they then send that money overseas.”