SEC Tipster Gets $18 Million for Helping Investors Recoup Losses

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission awarded $18 million to a whistle-blower whose information helped the agency bring an enforcement action that enabled harmed investors to recoup millions of dollars in losses.

The tipster repeatedly reported the problem internally before reaching out to the SEC, the regulator said in a Tuesday statement.

“This whistle-blower stepped forward and helped the agency better protect Main Street investors,” Jane Norberg, head of the SEC’s whistle-blower office, said in the statement.

The SEC didn’t provide information on the person’s identity or the company involved, citing federal law that protects confidentiality. The agency has ...