FinCEN Offers Cash Bounties for Snitching on Money Launderers
Published Date: 4/1/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
FinCEN is rolling out a new whistleblower program to reward and protect people who report shady financial activities like money laundering and terrorist financing. This program affects anyone with insider info on violations of key laws and aims to keep our financial system safe. Comments on the proposed rules are open until June 1, 2026, and whistleblowers could earn cash rewards for their tips!
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 5 costs, 0 mixed.
New FinCEN Whistleblower Rewards Program
If you have non-public information about money laundering, sanctions violations, or related crimes under the BSA, IEEPA, TWEA, or the Kingpin Act, FinCEN is proposing a whistleblower program that can pay cash awards and provide protections. The proposal implements 31 U.S.C. 5323 and would allow individuals who submit qualifying "original information" to seek awards and program protections.
How Awards Are Calculated and Funded
Awards may be paid as a share of monetary sanctions: the AML Act authorizes up to 30% of collected monetary sanctions, and the AML Whistleblower Improvement Act requires a minimum 10% for listed trade/sanctions statutes. Monetary sanctions include penalties, fines, settlements, disgorgement, and interest, but exclude blocked property, forfeiture, restitution, victim compensation, and monies deposited into the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.
Awards Only for Cases Over $1,000,000
You would only be eligible for an award if your information leads to a Treasury or DOJ judicial or administrative action that results in monetary sanctions exceeding $1,000,000. FinCEN may aggregate multiple related Treasury/DOJ actions so that separate actions can be treated together to meet the $1,000,000 threshold.
Anti-Retaliation Protections and Statutory Exclusions
The proposed rule implements anti-retaliation protections for whistleblowers in employment terms and conditions, but those protections do not apply to employers covered by certain bank statutes (e.g., 12 U.S.C. 1831j and 12 U.S.C. 1790b/1790c).
Required Submission Process and Cooperation
To seek an award you must submit "original information" to FinCEN using FinCEN's Tip, Complaint, or Referral (Form TCR) or an authorized alternative, via a secure online portal; each submitter must certify the submission is true and complete. You may submit anonymously or through an attorney, but you must provide requested additional information and cooperate with Treasury and DOJ to be eligible for an award.
120-Day Waiting Period for Certain Tips
Some whistleblowers who obtained information under specified circumstances must wait at least 120 calendar days from the date they obtained the information before providing it to FinCEN to be eligible for an award. The 120-day delay is intended to give entities time to use internal compliance programs to address or disclose the information.
Only Natural Persons Can Be Whistleblowers
Only individual natural persons (including two or more individuals acting jointly) can be whistleblowers eligible for awards; legal entities such as corporations, LLCs, and trusts cannot be whistleblowers under the proposed rule.
IRS Actions and FBAR Enforcement Excluded
An enforcement action brought by the IRS, or actions brought pursuant to authority delegated to the IRS, would not be treated as a "covered action" for purposes of awards under this FinCEN program (for example, IRS FBAR enforcement actions are excluded).
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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