Victims of scams who paid on Western Union may be eligible for a refund

Scammers have been making money for years by convincing their victims to send money for a variety of reasons including promised prizes, loans, jobs, discounted products or other financial rewards in exchange for money upfront. At times the scammers even pretend to be family members in need of cash or law enforcement officers demanding payment. The scammers told people to send money through Western Union. No one received the cash, prizes or services they were promised, and before now there was no way to get their money back.

Because of joint investigations by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the U. S. Postal Inspection Service, Western Union agreed to pay $586 million and admitted to aiding and abetting wire fraud.

DOJ is now using that money to provide refunds to people who were tricked into using Western Union to pay scammers.

Victims who sent money to a scammer through Western Union between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, may submit a claim, and those claims are due by February 12, 2018.

To file a claim, visit here: https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/western-union-settlement-faqs

A wide variety of scams may be covered by this settlement, including:

- Online or internet scams – you did not receive the items you tried to buy online
- Lottery or prize promotion scams – you were told you won a lottery or sweepstakes, but never got the prize
- Emergency or grandparent scams – you sent money to someone pretending to be a relative or friend in urgent need of money
- Advance-fee loan scams – you paid upfront fees, but did not get the promised loans
- Online dating or romance scams – you sent money to someone who created a fake profile on a dating or social networking website.

Even those who sent multiple payments are eligible.