A West Palm Beach attorney spent a career investigating insurance fraud when a bank moved to foreclose on her home in 2008. Almost four years later, the fraud she said she uncovered by combing through mortgage documents earned her $18 million.

Lynn Szymoniak, 63, is among six whistle-blowers who will pocket $46.5 million as part of a $25 billion national foreclosure settlement that state and federal officials reached in February with five major banks, according to the U.S. Justice Department.