This week, state Attorney General Ashley Moody alerted Florida wire-fraud victims to a reimbursement opportunity.
Victims who were tricked into wiring money to scammers through Western Union, between Jan. 1, 2004, and Jan. 19, 2017, may be entitled to financial reimbursement from Western Union. Claims must be submitted on or before July 1, 2022. As many as 36,000 Floridians may be eligible for up to $40 million as part of the Western Unions claims process.
“There are millions of dollars available to victims of scammers who utilized Western Union as part of their unlawful schemes—but action must be taken soon. If you believe you are eligible, please file a claim by July 1,” Moody said.
According to an investigation, the scheme targeted victims using a multitude of scams including grandparent scams, lottery scams, romance scams and others. The fraudster would convince a target to wire money using Western Union and never provide the victim with the promised items, rewards or services.
Eligible Floridians looking to file a claim should be wary of additional reimbursement scams and consider the tips below to avoid falling prey:
Know that payment is not necessary to file a claim;
Be wary that phone numbers and emails can be spoofed to appear from a trusted source;
Never send money to someone who insists on helping you file a claim; and
Contact Western Union or the Federal Trade Commission using the contact information on the organizations’ websites if suspicious of a possible reimbursement-related scam.
Western Union mailed a Petition for Remission Form to identified victims. If a consumer did not receive the pre-filed petition, but believes they are eligible for reimbursement, additional filing information can be found here.
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