The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission awarded $50,000 to awhistleblower in its first payout from a program launched last yearto reward people who provide regulators with evidence of securitiesfraud.

The whistleblower helped the SEC bring an enforcement actionthat resulted in more than $1 million in sanctions, the agency saidtoday in a statement. The award represents 30 percent — the maximumallowed under the Dodd-Frank Act — of the approximately $150,000collected so far.

The agency set up a whistleblower program in August 2011 toreward individuals who provide evidence of securities lawviolations which results in sanctions of more than $1 million. Theprogram was authorized in the 2010 financial-regulation overhaul,which said awards could range from 10 percent to 30 percent of themoney collected.