FTC’s Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen stated that, “American consumers lost money while Western Union looked the other way.” Acting Assistant Attorney General, Kenneth Blanco, believes that refunding money to affected consumers is the right move: “Knowing that its agents were involved in fraudulent schemes – and knowing that it had a legal obligation to detect and report this criminal conduct to the authorities – Western Union failed to act, leading to massive victim losses. Returning forfeited funds to these victims…is one of the Department’s highest priorities.
How Consumers May File for a Refund from Western Union
If you’re a consumer who lost money through Western Union because of a scam that occurred between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, you can visit http://www.ftv.gov/WU before February 12, 2018. If you’ve received a claim form in the mail from Gilardi & Co., use your claim number and PIN on the website above. If you believe that you’re owed money and did not receive a claim form, you can still submit a claim. Verified claims can expect to receive their refund within a year.
