The Western Union Company has agreed to forfeit $586 million as part of an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission over claims the global money services company participated in an international global fraud scheme.
Consumers who lost money to scammers they paid using Western Union between Jan. 1, 2004 and Jan. 19, 2017 may be eligible to file a claim and get their money back. The payment will be made through a process called remission.
In its agreement with the DOJ, Western Union reportedly admitted that it violated the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-fraud statutes by processing transactions for Western Union agents and other participants in an international consumer fraud scheme.
The scheme reportedly involved scammers who falsely posed as family members who were in need or falsely promised job opportunities or prizes. Victims of these scams were told to send money through Western Union to help their family members or to claim their prize.
The DOJ lodged claims against Western Union for wire fraud, aiding and abetting, and failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program.
More than 500,000 petitions have reportedly been mailed to consumers who have been identified as victims of the money transfer fraud with instructions on how to file a claim for a refund. If you did not receive a petition in the mail but believe you were a victim of a Western Union scam, you may file a claim online.
CLICK HERE to submit a claim.