<P> The False Claims Act , also called the `` Lincoln Law '' ) is an American federal law that imposes liability on persons and companies ( typically federal contractors ) who defraud governmental programs . It is the federal Government 's primary litigation tool in combating fraud against the Government . The law includes a qui tam provision that allows people who are not affiliated with the government , called `` relators '' under the law , to file actions on behalf of the government ( informally called `` whistleblowing '' especially when the relator is employed by the organization accused in the suit ) . Persons filing under the Act stand to receive a portion ( usually about 15 -- 25 percent ) of any recovered damages . As of 2012 , over 70 percent of all federal Government FCA actions were initiated by whistleblowers . Claims under the law have typically involved health care , military , or other government spending programs , and dominate the list of largest pharmaceutical settlements . The government recovered $38.9 billion under the False Claims Act between 1987 and 2013 and of this amount , $27.2 billion or 70 % was from qui tam cases brought by relators . </P>
what is a whistle blower suit under the false claims act
qui tam