Under the False Claims Act, those who knowingly submit false claims to the Federal Government may be liable for civil penalties and damages equal to three times the dollar value of the amount the government has been defrauded or cheated. Any person with knowledge of false claims for payment against the government may bring a lawsuit under the False Claims Act in his/her own name on behalf of the government. This person is called a relator. If the suit is successful and money damages are recovered from the wrongdoer, the relator may be entitled to receive between 15 to 30 percent of the total recovery. This reward, however, is reserved for the first person to file a False Claims Act case exposing a particular fraud. Therefore, if you have information about fraud against the government it is important to get your claim evaluated and filed as soon as practical before the fraud becomes public.