- If you’ve used Western Union in the last decade and somehow ended up wiring money to scammers, it’s not too late to get it back.
- The popular money transfer platform will be paying $586m to victims of fraud.
Lois Parham’s family were scammed by fraudsters from Jamaica. Her husband was receiving phone calls through which they managed to convince him that he won a lottery prize, and that in order to claim it, he’d have to go to Western Union. The family lost around $30,000 to the scammers through money transfers.
In fact, the hit was so substantial that the couple lost their home, family vehicle and life insurance because of it. According to Mrs Parham, her husband’s motivation was to ensure that she would no longer have to work. Regardless of this being a noble motive, it almost brought their marriage to an end.
If you have fallen victim to one of these scams in the last decade — don’t despair. But you do need to act now by visiting Western Union’s official website. Specifically, any money transfer made to a scammer between 1 January 2004 and 17 January 2017 will be refunded. However, all claims need to be submitted by 12 February 2018.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) determined that Western Union helped assist wire fraud. They have admitted the wrongdoing, which is why it is necessary for the company to pay back the funds.
Please keep in mind that the process can take up to one year to be resolved. The amount of money you might receive depends on how much was lost and how many people have decided to submit a claim. According to the FTC, you can file a claim even if you have not retained the paperwork pertaining to the transaction.
Over 500,000 victims have been emailed regarding the matter already. However, if you are a victim, you are eligible even if you are yet to be contacted.
