If you lost money to a scammer through a Western Union wire transfer between January 1, 2004, and January 19, 2017, you can file a claim under the Western Union settlement and get your money back. The refund program is run by the U.S. Department of Justice, funded by the $586 million Western Union forfeited after admitting to anti-money laundering and consumer fraud violations.1United States Department of Justice. Western Union Admits Anti-Money Laundering and Consumer Fraud Violations, Forfeits $586 Million in Settlement with Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission So far, more than $420 million has gone back to over 175,000 victims, and most have received the full amount they lost.2United States Department of Justice. Justice Department Begins Second Distribution of Forfeited Funds to Compensate Victims of Fraud Filing is free.
Who Qualifies
You qualify if you wired money through Western Union to someone who turned out to be a scammer, the transfer happened during the eligibility window above, and you haven’t already filed a claim.3Federal Trade Commission. Western Union Refunds The loss has to come from a consumer scam, not a business dispute or a transfer you later regretted. Common scenarios the program covers:
- Online purchase scams where you paid for goods or services that never arrived
- Lottery or prize scams that required you to send fees or taxes to claim a “win”
- Emergency or grandparent scams, where someone posed as a relative in trouble
- Advance-fee loan scams that promised a loan after an upfront payment
- Romance scams run through fake dating profiles
Your refund covers only what you actually wired. Western Union’s fees, travel to an agent location, and other incidental costs are not recoverable.4Western Union Remission Phase 2. Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Too Late to File
The formal Phase Two deadline was August 31, 2022.5United States Department of Justice. Justice Department Announces Phase Two of Compensation Process for Western Union Fraud Victims But the FTC’s refund page still tells eligible victims who haven’t filed that they “still have time to make a request to get your money back.”3Federal Trade Commission. Western Union Refunds If you missed the earlier deadlines, contact the claims administrator directly and ask whether a late petition will be considered. The administrator is Gilardi & Co. LLC, at (855) 786-1048 or info@WesternUnionRemissionPhase2.com.6Western Union Remission Phase 2. Contact Us
What to Gather Before You File
The filing document is called a Petition for Remission. Pull these together first:
- Your full name, current mailing address, phone number, and Social Security Number or ITIN
- For each transfer, the date sent, amount, and the recipient’s name or location
- Supporting documents: Western Union receipts, the Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN), or bank and credit card statements showing the payment
The DOJ cross-references your details against Western Union’s own records, so accuracy matters more than volume of paperwork. If a pre-filled claim form arrived in the mail, it comes with a Claim ID and PIN that let you log into the online portal with your loss amounts already listed. Check those figures against your own records before submitting.
If You Don’t Have the MTCN
You can look up an MTCN in your Western Union transaction history through the website or app for transfers sent online. For transfers sent in person at an agent, call Western Union customer care and ask them to pull the record.7Western Union. What Is a MTCN? You don’t need the MTCN to file, but including it lets reviewers match your petition to a specific transaction right away.
How to Submit Your Claim
The fastest route is the online portal at WesternUnionRemissionPhase2.com. Enter your personal and transaction details, upload scans of receipts or statements, and submit. Save the confirmation the site generates. To file on paper instead, mail your completed Petition for Remission to:
US v. The Western Union Company
P.O. Box 301172
Los Angeles, CA 90030-11726Western Union Remission Phase 2. Contact Us
Filing costs nothing. You don’t need a lawyer, and no legitimate party will charge you to submit your petition.8Federal Trade Commission. New Alert for Western Union Refunds
Filing for Someone Else
If the victim has died or can’t file on their own, a legal representative can submit the petition, but you’ll need paperwork proving your authority: a power of attorney, letters of administration from a probate court, or comparable documentation. Federal forfeiture rules require written authorization; a verbal claim of representation won’t do.9Forfeiture.gov. Regulations Governing the Remission or Mitigation of Administrative, Civil, and Criminal Forfeitures If an attorney is filing for a victim, the petition must include a signed statement from the victim or the estate’s personal representative confirming the attorney’s authority and the truth of the information.
What Happens After You File
The DOJ reviews each petition by matching it against Western Union’s internal transaction records. Expect the review to take up to a year, and sometimes longer.8Federal Trade Commission. New Alert for Western Union Refunds You can check status through the administrator’s website or by calling (855) 786-1048 with your Claim ID.
Approved claims are paid by check mailed to the address on your petition. In both rounds of distributions so far, approved victims have received the full amount of their documented losses; the first phase paid more than $365 million to over 148,000 victims at full compensation.10United States Department of Justice. Western Union Remission Fund Distributes Approximately $40M to Victims in the United States and Abroad Still, this is remission from a finite fund, not a guaranteed reimbursement. If the remaining balance shrinks relative to approved claims, future payments could be prorated.
If Your Check Is Lost or Expired
Call (855) 786-1048 or email info@WesternUnionRemissionPhase2.com to request a reissue, and confirm your mailing address is current. Checks go to whatever address is on file from your petition.6Western Union Remission Phase 2. Contact Us
If Your Petition Is Denied
A denial notice will explain why. Under federal forfeiture regulations, you can request reconsideration, but the window is short: your request must be postmarked or received within 10 days of when you received the denial.9Forfeiture.gov. Regulations Governing the Remission or Mitigation of Administrative, Civil, and Criminal Forfeitures Reconsideration has to rest on new information or evidence that wasn’t in your original petition, or on a clear showing that the denial was made in error. A different official reviews it, and you only get one attempt. Don’t wait. Ten days goes fast, especially by mail.
Scams Targeting Claimants
Anyone searching for this settlement is a natural target for follow-on fraud: you’ve already been scammed once, and now you’re looking for money. The FTC has flagged fake emails posing as official settlement correspondence and asking for personal details.11Federal Trade Commission. Western Union Refunds Scam Alert The real process does not run through email solicitations, and you can’t file by replying to one.
A few rules to keep you safe: no legitimate administrator or government agency will ask you to pay a fee to file. Nobody involved in the program will call asking for your bank account number, credit card, or a payment to “unlock” your refund. If someone offers to speed things up for a fee, that person is running a scam.8Federal Trade Commission. New Alert for Western Union Refunds File it yourself, through the official site or by mail.
Taxes on Your Payment
A remission payment gives back money that was taken from you. It doesn’t put you ahead of where you were before the fraud, so for most recipients the payment is not taxable income. The exception is if you claimed the fraud loss as a theft deduction on a prior tax return; in that case, the IRS treats the recovery as income to the extent the earlier deduction reduced your tax bill.12Internal Revenue Service. Publication 547 – Casualties, Disasters, and Thefts
If your payment is $600 or more and the administrator considers any portion taxable, you may receive a Form 1099-MISC reporting it.13Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC If you never deducted the loss, you likely owe nothing on the recovery. If you’re unsure, a tax professional can review your prior returns and tell you where you stand.