Western Union has agreed to pay a penalty of US$586 million to the United States’ Department of Justice (DOJ) after admitting to aiding and abetting wire fraud. The DOJ is using this penalty to provide refunds to eligible people worldwide who were tricked into paying scammers via Western Union.
ACCC Acting Chair Dr Michael Schaper explained that Australian consumers can use an online form or apply by post to have the money they lost refunded by the DOJ. As this is a US-based action, the ACCC is unable to make claims on a consumer’s behalf or assist consumers with their claims.
“Scamwatch hears heartbreaking stories on a daily basis from Australians who have lost money to scammers by wiring funds through Western Union. Over $5 million is reported lost each year to these scams but this is just the tip of the iceberg as many victims don’t contact us,” Dr. Schaper commented “The sad reality is that in most cases, once you have fallen victim to a scammer, the money is gone – and there’s nothing you can do to get it back. For people who have wired money via Western Union from 2004 until 2017, this may be your chance to recover some of it. There are no guarantees but we strongly encourage you to try by 12 February.”
