In an article published in University Business on October 24, 2024, Veronica Nannis notes that fraud investigations are on the rise in higher education institutions.
She details a number of fraud cases against universities that were brought under the False Claims Act, a unique fraud-fighting statute that lets ordinary citizens step into the shoes of the government to recover fraudulent gains. These whistleblowers are called “relators” and use insider information to file fraud cases on the government’s behalf. Many of the cases Veronica highlights settled for millions of dollars, and the relators received a portion of the settlement.
Experienced in bringing and litigating False Claims Act cases, Veronica provides insight that higher education institutions can use to avoid similar fates, including developing real, transparent and robust compliance programs; requiring mandatory, yearly training on the polices and the real cost of violations; and establishing effective protections and anti-retaliation measures for whistleblowers, who almost always try to address suspected fraud internally before reporting to the government.
