Consumer Alert
Western Union refund alert
The deadline to ask for your money back from the FTC’s settlement with Western Union is now May 31, 2018. That’s the settlement refunding people the money that scammers had them pay using Western Union between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017. We have some tips on how to file your claim, answers to questions, and where to start filing your claim online. But, based on some recent questions – and because we’ve heard about some people making promises they can’t deliver – we wanted to give you some practical tips on how to get your claim in.
- Don’t pay anybody to help you file your claim or get your money back. It’s free to file your claim. It’s free to get your refund. That’s true whenever the government returns money to you. You. Don’t. Have. To. Pay.
- You can do it yourself. There’s no need to hire a lawyer to file the claim for you. Start at FTC.gov/WU to file your claim online. The claim form is not too hard – we promise. Just put in as much information as you have, upload any documents you still have, and submit.
- You can mail in your claim. You don’t have to file online. Print out a blank claim form – or have someone help you print it – fill it out, attach copies of any documentation you might have, and send it to: United States v. The Western Union Company, PO Box 404027, Louisville, KY 40233-4027.
- Nobody can get your refund to you more quickly. There’s no short-cut or special access. You file your claim and then you wait for the Department of Justice to have all the claims in, validate them, and return the money. It might take a year, but nobody can help you get it any faster.
If anyone tells you the only way to get your money back is through them, or they try to charge you to get your money back, stop. That’s a scam, so tell the FTC.
Search Terms
It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.
The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.
In reply to having trouble getting info by sienna
You can file a claim, even if you don’t have paperwork related to your money transfer. You may still be eligible for a payment. You can give as much information as you remember, like where you were when you sent the money, and the place you sent money to.
In reply to You can file a claim, even if by FTC Staff
In reply to What about paying $550 by DIANE A
This refund process does not apply to money sent through MoneyGram.
You can report a scam to the FTC at FTC.gov/Complaint and to the MoneyGram Customer Care Center at 1‑800‑926‑9400. If the scammer contacted you through a website, for example a dating website or product sales website, you can report the problem to that site.
In reply to You can file a claim, even if by FTC Staff
In reply to How do I file a claim for a by WH Cole
The refunds related to Western Union's settlement with the FTC are for money sent between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017. You can report a scam that happened after that date to the FTC at FTC.gov/complaint and to Western Union's Fraud Hotline at 800-448-1492.
In reply to The refunds related to by FTC Staff
In reply to You can file a claim, even if by FTC Staff
In reply to I mis placed my paper with by Rrod
You can contact the refund administrator to ask about your claim. The contact information is on this page. And save a link to FTC.gov/WU. We have useful information about the process and will update the page when there is news.
In reply to I mis placed my paper with by Rrod
You can contact the refund administrator to ask about your claim. The contact information is on this page. And save a link to FTC.gov/WU. We have useful information about the process and will update the page when there is news.
In reply to I mis placed my paper with by Rrod
In reply to You can file a claim, even if by FTC Staff
In reply to I would like to know how how by gwene1954
You can submit your claim online or you can print a blank claim form and return it by postal mail. You must file your claim by May 31, 2018.
To submit your claim online, go to FTC.gov/WU. Click the orange button near the top of the page. Click the link on the next page. You will be connected to the claim filing website.
To print a blank claim form, go to FTC.gov/WU. Click on the words "print a blank claim form." Click on the next link. Open the pdf file. That is the blank claim form. Fill it out and mail it to the address listed on FTC.gov/WU.
In reply to Where does one get a claim by getaform
You have two choices:
To fill out the claim form online and submit it online: Go to FTC.gov/WU. Click the orange button near the top of the page. Click the link on the next page. You will be connected to the claim filing website.
To get a blank claim form: Go to FTC.gov/WU. Click on the words "print a blank claim form." Click on the next link. Open the pdf file. That is the blank claim form.
In reply to Do we need receipt by t.fleshman
If you used Western Union to send money to a scammer between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, file a claim, even if you don’t have paperwork related to your money transfer. You may still be eligible for a payment.
You must file your claim by May 31, 2018. Go to FTC.gov/WU to start your claim. Click the orange button that's near the top of the page. Then click again on the next page. You will be connected to the claim filing website. Give as much information as you can.
In reply to (1) I have filed a claim on by radhabaigadiyr
You can file a claim online, OR you can file a paper claim. Do not file two claims.
In reply to I would like to turn in by Jake1943
You can file a claim for a family member, friend or client if you represent an estate. Go to FTC.gov/WU and the claim filing website for more information.
I filled a claim from the last web site that you had on here. And I have not received a pin number or any reply from the Western Union Scam.
In reply to I filled a claim from the by russelldonn
You will not get a PIN number after you file a claim at the US Deparment of Justice website. You will not get a reply right away. It could take up to one year to process and verify all the claims and determine who is eligible to get a payment.
When there is news about the refunds, the FTC will publish the news at FTC.gov/WU.
In reply to If I'm being sent an email by Ash
Who sent you the email? You might get email from the Federal Trade Commission because you signed up to get news about consumer protection. The Federal Trade Commission sends notices when there are new blog posts about consumer protection issues.
Did you use Western Union to send money to a scammer between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017? If you did, you can ask to get some money back. You have to ask by May 31, 2018. Go to FTC.gov/WU for help.
1) Will any claims be adjudicated before the extended May 31, 2018 closing date? 2) Is there a website that we check check the status of our claim?
In reply to 1) Will any claims be by Big Ray
You can find contact information for the redress administrator on the Department of Justice redress website.
In reply to Would I be able to still file by Pchong
No, you are not eligible to file a claim if you used Western Union to send money to a scammer after January 19, 2017.
You can report the scam to the FTC at FTC.gov/Complaint and to the Western Union Fraud Hotline at 800-448-1492. If the scammer contacted you through a website, for example a dating website or product sales website, you can report the problem to that site.
Hi, I sent money on 2 different days to the same person, do I add it up and file one claim or 2 separate ones ?
In reply to Hi, by Vero
Please use the directions on the US Department of Justice claim filing website when you prepare your claim.
I was just wondering if I would qualify if I used the Wal-Mart system? Unfortunately I no longer have the paperwork for it. I had pretty much given up on any hopes for resolution on this.
In reply to I was just wondering if I by Cbrown
I don't know what you mean by the Wal-Mart system. Do you mean you used Western Union to transfer the money when you were in a Wal-Mart store?
If you used Western Union to send money to a scammer between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, you can file a claim to ask for money back. You must file a claim by May 31, 2018. Go to FTC.gov/WU to start the process.
In reply to I was scammed by a woman who by phriddle
You could talk to your local police or sheriff about this. If you need help with daily expenses, transportation, home repair or other costs, you can call the federal government Eldercare Locator service at 1-800-677-1116. You can search the resources at Eldercare.ACL.gov.
In reply to I submitted the required by FRRMcC
You don't need to do anything more after you submit your claim. You could contact the refund administrator about your claim. At this time, they will probably say your claim is "under review." You can check at FTC.gov/WU periodically. That is where the FTC will post new information.
In reply to So does the extension to the by Patiently Waiting
In reply to I was also wondering if the by MR.GRATEFUL
The claims are reviewed as they come in. After all the claims are reviewed, the US Department of Justice will make decisions to approve or deny claims. Then it will work through an appeal process. Payments won't begin until the appeal process is concluded.
In reply to My sister not to smart has by Fuming over sister
Some scammers use people to help them transfer stolen money. The scammers develop online relationships and ask their new sweetheart or friend to accept money and transfer funds.
The scammer might ask the victim to use her bank account, or open a new account, or use a wire transfer service. The victim uses her personal information on the bank account and wire transfer forms. If you get involved with one of these schemes, you could lose money and personal information, and you could get into legal trouble.
In reply to Can you file a claim with by Very concerned
No, you can't file a claim for a refund under the settlement. You can report that to the FTC at FTC.gov/Complaint and to the Western Union Fraud Hotline at 800-448-1492. If the scammer contacted you through a website, for example a dating website or product sales website, you can report the problem to that site.