DOJ rolls out fraud bounty scheme as online users turn it into a roast of President Donald Trump
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The Justice Department announced a new $10,000-to-$30,000 whistleblower payout program for information leading to fraud charges, only to see the rollout immediately mocked online with tips aimed at President Donald Trump.
The U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program on Tuesday, dangling rewards of $10,000 to $30,000 for information that leads to criminal charges. The initiative is being promoted as part of a broader crackdown led by Vice President JD Vance on alleged fraud in welfare and immigration programs, a framing that critics are likely to see as politically charged and punitive.
Within hours of the announcement, the online reporting portal was inundated with tips that appeared designed less to assist law enforcement than to ridicule the program by accusing President Donald Trump of fraud. One user on X, known as “JoJo From Jerz,” wrote, “So, we're mass reporting him, right?” Another posted, “I’d like to turn in Donald Jezebel Trump,” while a third asked for the official address of Mar-a-Lago, saying, “I wanna get rich.” The response quickly turned the new portal into a public punchline.
President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that a whistleblower could receive one percent of any recovery secured by the DOJ under the new scheme. He added, “At one percent, people will make millions and millions of dollars for turning in what actually is a somewhat routine crime… But we’re talking about billions and actually probably trillions of dollars.” The pitch underscored how aggressively the administration is trying to monetize accusations in the name of enforcement.
White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg noted that the existing False Claims Act already allows whistleblowers to receive 10 to 25 percent of recovered funds. When asked why the new portal would be preferred, Trump replied, “Because it’s a lot of money.” That answer did little to dispel the impression that the program is more about spectacle and headline-grabbing incentives than a carefully designed anti-fraud policy.
During the briefing, Trump responded sharply to Feinberg’s questions, telling the reporter to “be careful,” and later asking, “What’s wrong with you? Are you a sick person?” Feinberg replied, “Not that I know of, sir.” The tense exchange fit neatly with the combative tone surrounding the rollout.