In a statement, the Commission said "The seven whistleblowers were composed of two sets of joint claimants and three single claimants. Each provided information that either prompted the opening of or significantly contributed to an SEC investigation. The seven individuals’ assistance to the staff included providing documents supporting the allegations of misconduct, sitting for interviews and identifying potential witnesses.

“The awards show that specific and credible information plays an integral part in the SEC’s enforcement efforts,” said Creola Kelly, Chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower. “These whistleblowers provided information that helped Enforcement staff detect and prosecute wrongdoing in a timely manner.”

Payments to whistleblowers are made out of an investors' protection fund, established by Congress, which is financed entirely through monetary sanctions paid to the SEC by those who breach securities law. No money has been taken or withheld from harmed investors to pay whistleblowers' awards. Whistleblowers may be eligible for an award when they voluntarily provide the SEC with original, timely and credible information that leads to a successful enforcement action and adhere to filing requirements in the whistleblower rules. Whistleblowers' awards can range from 10 to 30 percent of the money collected when the monetary penalties exceed USD1 million." [edited]

As set forth in the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and does not disclose any information that could reveal a whistleblower’s identity.