The Department of Justice announced that it has begun the third phase of the remission compensation process to provide recovery for Western Union fraud victims.
In 2017, Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice and agreed to forfeit $586 million. The Department of Justice previously distributed over $436.9 million to more than 180,000 victims. Because additional forfeited funds remain available in this case, the Department of Justice has reopened the petition process to potential victims who did not previously submit a petition for remission.
“The Department is pleased to announce the third and final phase of the Western Union remission process,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thousands of victims have already obtained over $430 million in compensation in the first two phases, and this third phase represents the Criminal Division’s continued dedication to taking the profit out of crime and compensating victims of fraud.”
“This additional $3.4 million in remission to 1,294 victims and the opening of the Victim Portal represents the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to ensuring all victims of consumer fraud are protected,” said Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division. “We are proud of our efforts recovering over $400 million for victims of this fraud, and we thank our partners for their contributions to this cooperative effort.”
Victims of fraud who sent a money transfer through Western Union between Jan. 1, 2004, and March 9, 2020, can file a petition for remission and receive compensation for their fraud losses. Individuals who believe they may be victims may file a petition online or may obtain a petition form online at www.westernunionremissionphase3.com/