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Getting money back from the Western Union settlement is a big deal for people who lost money to a scam. And that case is a big deal to both the FTC and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and their case teams. In fact, those teams were just honored as a finalist in the 2018 Services to America Medals, known as the Sammies.

You might have read about the Western Union settlement, who can apply for a refund, and how. Now you can get a behind-the-scenes view of how the civil investigation at the FTC and the criminal investigation at DOJ came together to get Western Union to forfeit $586 million. That’s money that will go back to people who wired money through Western Union and lost it to scams.

(And, while we’re at it, remember that you have until May 31 to file your claim for money back. Start at FTC.gov/WU.)

But there’s something you can do, too. Each year, the Sammies run a People’s Choice award, letting the public vote for their favorite nominee. In fact, you can vote once a day, starting now and ending July 9. On June 1, the Top 12 will be announced, so you can see how your votes counted. We have 586 million reasons to thank the FTC-DOJ case team. Please consider voting early and often.

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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 won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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.

marina52
May 15, 2018

i hope i will become what back i have sed leatr to Western Union on 02.02.2018. thanks for your massage

abderrahman.b
May 15, 2018

salutation oui il 'a boucau de courriel d'escroqueries reçu au nom de Western Union je sais pas pour quoi les agents de Western Union ne ponderer pas a notre reclamation par courriel pas grave felicitation au Western Union cordialement --------------------------- greeting yes he's got scams email sent on behalf of Western Union I do not know why Western Union agents will not weigh our claim by email not serious congratulations to Western Union cordially

FTC Staff
May 15, 2018

In reply to by abderrahman.b

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 request a refund. You must use the process created by the US Department of Justice to file a claim.

You do not need to be a US citizen or in the US to request a refund. Go to the US Department of Justice website to file a claim and request a refund. You must file by May 31, 2018.

ksrl1369
May 15, 2018
Send my money WU
Joane
May 15, 2018
I don't care I want my money back is 4 600 $
rikoshea
May 15, 2018
very nice to reward companies that care
Don't use your…
May 15, 2018
Western Union needs to put up signs asking if you are forwarding money for a lottery prize, overseas love interest. WU clerks need to be more proactive in questioning people about why they are sending money. I've never lost any money, but have worked with individuals who have.
Hope M.
May 15, 2018
I would like to express my gratitude to the Western Union team. I thought I was purchasing a chocolate lab puppy and was scammed out of over $500. I filed a report with the government but never dreamed I would see that money again. Now, when I need it most, I will get back at least part of it. Thank you so much!!!
Lillammy
November 20, 2018

In reply to by Hope M.

What did you do to get your money back? I was scammed out of 450$ for a puppy as well. Thank you
werner
May 15, 2018
Thanks, FTC & DOJ, great story, Thanks again
ARAJCO
May 15, 2018

Hope to get it back soon.... wish to have the same with Money gram too??

Angel
May 19, 2018

In reply to by ARAJCO

MoneyGram do the same thing to me too. I was a victim of the scam with them too.
Angel
May 15, 2018
I was a victim of a scam as well I would like to know what I can do about it? and the money that I sent was sent to Western Union also.
FTC Staff
May 16, 2018

In reply to by Angel

The refund program is for people who used Western Union to send money to a scammer between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017.

If you sent money between those dates, you can file a claim by May 31, 2018. Go to FTC.gov/WU to read about the claim filing process. Then click on the orange button near the top of the FTC.gov/WU page to connect to the claim filing website. You must file by May 31, 2018.

kitty
May 15, 2018
So now we are suppose to thank Western Union for returning money they probably knew along was a scam. And it wasn't returned because they wanted to.
want to be my …
May 16, 2018

In reply to by kitty

To Kitty, It's hard to think positive sometimes especially when ones trust has been broken. However, I will still Thank Western Union for listening to their conscience and recognizing an idea some call Karma. What good goes around comes back around. Best wishes to you.
Jane Madeleine
May 16, 2018

I have lost money through the western union can you please check it out for me thankyou.

FTC Staff
May 16, 2018

In reply to by Jane Madeleine

No, the FTC cannot look up your personal records.

The refund program is only for people who used Western Union to send money to a scammer between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017.

If you sent money between those dates, you can file a claim by May 31, 2018. Go to FTC.gov/WU to read about the claim filing process. Then click on the orange button near the top of the FTC.gov/WU page to connect to the claim filing website. You must file by May 31, 2018.

nmcken
May 16, 2018

I didnt see this until now so is it to late to file? I lost $1000 from a WU scammer? TY

FTC Staff
May 16, 2018

In reply to by nmcken

The refund program is only for people who used Western Union to send money to a scammer between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017.

If you sent money between those dates, you can file a claim by May 31, 2018. Go to FTC.gov/WU to read about the claim filing process. Then click on the orange button near the top of the FTC.gov/WU page to connect to the claim filing website. You must file by May 31, 2018.

eric
May 16, 2018

i am peraonally.am impressed with the effort that is,being put.into getting my money back,because of .scammers,that have actually--scammed me out of, it's my money. and i worked for it,it dosen't belong to scammers.the word stimulus --dosent mean the word scammer or impostor.i will and at this time,be looking to be reimbursed,a.s.a.p.--thank's.where would i be without you,,,.

Spribble
May 16, 2018
Thank you for the update however, after your trust has been broken its hard to believe anything is real on the internet I did receive a claim form but the amount I lost was not even close to matching my records and I think I have been getting fake email regarding this. I need an address to mail copies of my records and the address they provided is the same one for the Anthem data breach which scanned my entire family I've been dealing with identity theft since 2012 and have found zero relief will it ever get better? I'm still getting hacked
FTC Staff
May 21, 2018

In reply to by Spribble

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 get your money back.  You can file claims for all the money transfers that occurred between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017. 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 must file by May 31, 2018.  That is 10 days from now. You can file online if you want.

Go to FTC.gov/WU to read about the claim filing process. If you want to file online, click on the orange button near the top of the FTC.gov/WU page. It will connect to the claim filing website. You must file by May 31, 2018. 

Claudia A
May 21, 2018
2017 I lost a lot of money due a friends need help and I did help but,an steps I was been scammed. I feel so sad due to it. I asked for a loan and so on.. But I hope I learn my lesson.
Bmanna
May 31, 2018
I was scammed using money gram for $1603 what can I do to get my money back I have orginal records of everything.
FTC Staff
June 13, 2018

In reply to by Bmanna

There is not a refund program for people who used MoneyGram to send money to scammers, but you can report what happened to the FTC at FTC.gov/Complaint and to MoneyGram. Call the MoneyGram Customer Care Center at 1‑800‑926‑9400. If the scammer contacted you through a website, for example a product sales or social media website, you can also report the scam to that site.

Roz
June 07, 2018
I lost $6000.00. They kept telling me I won this and that I needed to send western union right now and I did. The also sent me a $3200 check at the time I waited 5 days to cash. But they told me to cash it and send 4 places and I did then the check came up account closed. My bank took my ss checks till it was pd I couldn't pay bills or get my meds. Sue them for everything they got. I still have the bad check.
abdulrehman
June 11, 2018

I sent ino to Gillard back in Feb 2018. Is it worth registering with FTC also even though the 31 May 2018 deadline has now passed? Wondering what I sent through in Feb was legit or not?

FTC Staff
June 11, 2018

In reply to by abdulrehman

Gilardi & Co is the refund administrator that works for the US Department of Justice. There were several legitimate ways to file a claim before the May 31, 2018 deadline. All of these ways were legitimate:

  • file a refund claim refund online at the Gilardi & Co website
  • mail in a paper form that you copied from FTC.gov/WU or the Gilardi & Co website
  • mail in a form that you received in a letter from the US Department of Justice
Bre
June 01, 2019

In reply to by FTC Staff

I mailed everything in and it’s been a year plus and I still have not received my refund.....
skepticle
August 28, 2018
may 31st deadline is 3 months past.when do refunds start being sent
sparkplug
February 17, 2019
Hi i filed a claim to get a refund from WU but its been a uear and i have not heard anything anout my refund
Bre
June 01, 2019

In reply to by sparkplug

I hear you I’m steady waiting for my money as well and I don’t see any updates in 2019
FTC Staff
June 03, 2019

In reply to by Bre

The FTC has information at www.FTC.gov/WU. The information was updated in March 2019. You can also read updates at www.WesternUnionRemission.com. That is the website for Gilardi & Co. the company that is managing the refund process for the US Department of Justice. Gilardi & Co. has updates for 2019.