President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are putting cash on the table in the administration's war on fraud, unveiling a $25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program that will pay Americans up to $30,000 for tips that help bring fraudsters to justice.
The program — known as WHIP — will be administered by the Justice Department, with tips submitted through a new government portal, fraud.gov. A tip alone does not earn a payout: the money is paid only when the information leads to a successful fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action.
The unveiling, held with the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in the Oval Office on Tuesday, is the latest expansion of Vance's antifraud task force, launched this year to investigate the misuse of government funds. The task force has already opened investigations into medical supply programs, food assistance benefits and the Affordable Care Act.
At the event, Trump also presents independent journalist Nick Shirley with a $10,000 check for his work exposing suspected fraud in Minnesota. Shirley drew national attention in December 2025 with a video questioning whether several Somali-run Minnesota day care centers were legitimate businesses, showing apparently empty facilities and people who said they had never seen children at the locations.
The administration says the crackdown is already producing results. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald has revealed more than $1 billion recovered from trade fraud, while Dr. Mehmet Oz has joined the effort, uncovering millions in Medicaid funding stolen through fraudulent adult daycare centers in New York City.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that over the past year Treasury returned $175 million in payments that would have gone to deceased individuals, stopped almost $190 million more, and returned over $100 million that had gone overseas to U.S. victims — while overseas scam networks and cartels that prey on elderly Americans have been hit with sanctions.
"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 said. "This administration has zero tolerance for individuals who steal from Americans." Attorney General Todd Blanche added that the Justice Department will prosecute fraud against the American people "no matter the size or scope of the scheme."