What Does Anonymous SEC Whistleblowing Involve?

Whistleblowers must be represented by an attorney to maintain anonymity. The attorney will submit the information on their behalf. The attorney is responsible for verifying the whistleblower's identity and acting as an intermediary between the whistleblower and the SEC.

Updated

May 14, 2025

Anonymous SEC Whistleblowing
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The SEC Whistleblower Program encourages individuals to report potential securities law violations to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Whistleblowers must be represented by an attorney to maintain anonymity. The attorney will submit the information on their behalf. The attorney is responsible for verifying the whistleblower’s identity and acting as an intermediary between the whistleblower and the SEC.

An attorney will ensure that the necessary forms submitted, including the SEC Form TCR (Tip, Complaint, or Referral) to the Office of the Whistleblower, do not include any personally identifiable information.

The SEC has done a stellar job at protecting the identity of whistleblowers, including those who report anonymously. However, some exceptions do occur, such as when disclosures are required in connection with a judicial or administrative proceeding.

Throughout the entire case, the whistleblower’s attorney remains the primary point of contact with the SEC throughout the investigation. As stated above, the whistleblower’s attorney will act as the intermediary and facilitate communication between the whistleblower and the SEC while maintaining the whistleblower’s anonymity.

When the SEC takes enforcement action based on the whistleblower’s original, credible, and timely information and collects more than $1 million in sanctions, the whistleblower may be eligible for an award ranging from 10 to 30 of the amount collected.

To claim an award, the whistleblower’s attorney will submit a Form WB-APP (Application for Award for Original Information Provided Pursuant to Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) on behalf of the whistleblower.

Anonymous whistleblowing protects those who fear retaliation or other adverse consequences for doing the right thing – reporting potential securities law violations.

Allison Lee - Of Counsel - Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto LLP

Contact Allison Lee

We’re thrilled to welcome ex-SEC Acting Chair, Allison Herren Lee, to our team.

Now Of Counsel at Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, Allison Herren Lee is ready to serve and protect whistleblowers, and help them seek rewards under the Dodd-Frank Act and SEC Whistleblower Program. If you’re an SEC whistleblower seeking to report a concern, contact our law firm today to speak confidentially with Allison Lee.

Our Firm’s Cases

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    Andrés Olarte Peña

    Oil industry’s environmental crimes and cover-up in Colombia have been exposed. Whistleblower Andrés Olarte Peña, with the support of his attorneys Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto and the damning evidence compiled in the Iguana Papers, is calling for an investigation into Ecopetrol and its executives by the Colombian government and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • SEC Whistleblower

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    SEC Confidential Whistleblower (2020)

    Protecting the confidentiality of Wall Street whistleblowers is among the most important breakthroughs in federal whistleblower law. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, whistleblowers can file anonymous cases, and everything about their case, including who they sued, remains secret.

  • SEC Confidential Whistleblower

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    SEC Confidential Whistleblower (2021)

    Our firm represented an anonymous whistleblower, who on May 17, 2021, received a whistleblower award of almost $13.5 million. The SEC has issued more than $31 million in whistleblower awards related to this case.

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