Who is a Class Member
- If you sent a money transfer through Western Union within and outside the United States between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, and were the victim of fraud, you may be eligible for remission.
If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.
Settlement Amount
- $586,00,000.00
- Estimated amount any one class member will vary; payment will be based only on the amount of the money transfer – you cannot recover collateral expenses such as Western Union fees, incidental losses, or transfers sent through other companies. The amount a class member will received will probably be a percentage of the amount lost minus any refund already dispersed.
Proof of Purchase
- To be considered, you must file a Petition for Remission on or before February 12, 2018. Many victims were mailed petitions with pre-populated loss amounts, these forms can be returned online or in the mail to the claims administrator. If you didn’t receive a pre-filled petition, you can file a petition by clicking on the File a Claim link below.
Claim Form
Western Union Remission Settlement Notes
- United States of America v. The Western Union Company
- Case Number 1:17-cr-00011-CCC
- Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
According to court documents, from as early as 2004, and continuing through 2012, fraudsters engaged in a scheme to defraud consumers through the Western Union Money Transfer System. Certain owners, operators, or employees of Western Union Agent locations were reportedly complicit in the scheme. “Western Union aided and abetted the Fraudsters’ scheme to defraud by failing to suspend and/or terminate complicit Agents and by allowing them to continue to process fraud-induced monetary transactions,” the complaint states.
Fraudsters involved in the scheme contacted victims by phone, U.S. mail, interstate courier, or the internet, and fraudulently induced them to send money by:
- falsely promising victims they would receive large cash prizes, lottery winnings, fictitious loans, or other payments
- falsely offering various high-ticket items for sale over the Internet at deeply discount prices
- falsely promising employment opportunities as “secret shoppers” who would be paid to evaluate retail stores
- placing a phone call posing as the victim’s relative and claiming to be in trouble and in urgent need of money
In agreeing to resolve the charges brought by the DOJ and FTC on behalf of consumer-victims, Western Union agreed to forfeit $586 million. In its agreement with the Justice Department, Western Union admitted that it violated U.S. laws—The Bank Secrecy Act and anti-fraud statutes—by processing hundreds of thousands of transactions for Western Union agents and others involved in the purported international consumer fraud scheme.
“The money paid by Western Union will be made available to victims through a process called “remission.” The remission process is governed by the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 28, Part 9. If you file a petition for remission detailing the loss amount, DOJ’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section will compare the requests to Western Union’s records and decide whether to grant the petition. After DOJ has reviewed all petitions, approved petitioners will get payment for some or all of their approved loss.” – Western Union Remission FAQs.
The case is entitled United States of America v. The Western Union Company, Case No. 1:17-cr-00011-CCC, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Eligible Class members must complete a Petition for Remission Submission by February 12, 2018 and return by mail or file online at www.WesternUnionRemission.com
All class members who file a valid claim will be represented by the Federal Trade Commission.
Claims administration is being managed by Gilardi & Co. LLC.
Important Dates
- 2/12/2018: Claim form deadline
Contact Information
- Mail: United States v. The Western Union Company, P.O. Box 404027, Louisville, KY, 40233-4027
- Phone: 1-844-319-2124
- Email: info@westernunionremission.com
Settlement Website
How would I verify this communication from Western Union before providing my social security number
Hey Carol,
You must provide your SSN because the Treasury Offset Program (aka the US Gov) will check to make sure you do not owe any money to the federal government or certain state debts before paying you out.
https://www.bbb.org/greater-san-francisco/business-reviews/lawyers/gilardi-co-llc-in-san-rafael-ca-384672
If you owe money to the Federal Government why are they taking the money? This is money that most people could use to pay bills. When I sent the money I didn’t borrow it from the Government. I am just confused why they should have it.
If you owe the Uncle Sam money they will take it… they are able to do so by law. Why would you think you would not have to pay back money you owe?
I received a letter it’s fraud…https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds
Hello,
I was a victim of this particular fraud.
Kimberly, is the link you shared for FTC legit?
When will they proceed to starting mailing any claim checks out? What if you owe Federal Taxes all because of being scammed seems that this should be taken into consideration and the government willing to make some type of settlement with the victims of this ungodly nightmare and waive some of the charges.