The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today announced a whistleblower award of more than $28 million issued to an individual whose reporting led the SEC and a second agency to open an investigation into frauds committed by a company.

According to the SEC award order, the whistleblower alerted the Commission to a company’s conduct in a certain country. Even though the SEC and a second agency later found that the fraud was occurring in a different country, the whistleblower was still proven to be integral enough to the investigation that he or she was issued an award of $28 million.

Due to the highly sensitive nature of the matter at hand, the SEC does not release the name of the company being investigated in the award order. However, the SEC posts Notices of Covered Actions every month which name the companies involved in the fraud.

Established under the Dodd Frank Act, the SEC Whistleblower Program provides for claimants to file for awards with full anonymity and confidentiality. Using an experienced SEC whistleblower attorney, those with original information of securities fraud can file using a Form TCR. If the SEC brings forth enforcement actions resulting in sanctions exceeding $1 million, the whistleblower can become eligible for awards ranging from 10-30% of the penalties collected.

Since issuing its first award, the SEC Whistleblower Program has awarded approximately $901 million to 163 individuals.

“The SEC has awarded more than $900 million over the life of the program, including almost $85 million to nine individuals in this month alone, which reflects the vitality and continued success of the SEC’s whistleblower program,” said Emily Pasquinelli, Acting Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower.

Ben Kostyack also contributed to this article.