If you lost money to a scammer who had you pay using Western Union between January 1, 2004, and January 19, 2017, the deadline has been extended to May 31, 2918, for you to ask for money back from the Federal Trade Commission’s settlement with Western Union.
Western Union agreed to return $586 million to people to settle the FTC’s charges that Western Union hadn’t adequately protected people from fraud, and didn’t properly discipline problem agents. To get money back, here’s what you need to do by the new deadline, said Karen Dodge, attorney for the FTC’s Midwest Region:
- Start at gov/WUto file your claim online. If you got a letter in the mail about a complaint you filed earlier, you’ll have a Claim ID and a PIN. Click the blue “I got a pre-filled claim form” button and use those to file your claim. If you didn’t get a letter in the mail, click the orange button that says “I lost money, but did not get a claim form.”
- Give as much information as you can about your loss. Upload any paperwork you have. The U.S. Department of Justice, which is handling the claims through a contractor, Gilardi & Co, will use that information to validate your Western Union money transfer.
- You’re required to give your Social Security number or ITIN to file a claim. Read why here.
- Don’t pay anybody to help you file your claim, or get your money back. Anybody who asks you to pay for your claim or refund is scamming you. Tell the FTC.
- Be patient. It might take a year for the Department of Justice to validate all the claims and start returning the money.
If you have questions, click here, and also check out the FAQs at FTC.gov/WU.
