Western Union scam victims can seek $$

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COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced that Ohioans who sent money to scammers using Western Union’s wire service may now apply for compensation from a $586 million fund held by the U.S. Department of Justice’s victim asset recovery program.

The fund is related to a multistate settlement Attorney General DeWine announced in January.

Consumers may be eligible to receive compensation if they sent a fraud-induced wire transfer through Western Union between January 1, 2004, and January 19 of this year.

“It’s not often that scam victims have a chance to recover some of their money, so we want people to know about this opportunity,” Attorney General DeWine said. “If you think you’re eligible, file a claim.”

A settlement administrator is sending claim forms to over 500,000 consumers. Ohioans may receive a form in the mail if they reported to Western Union or to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office that they had been the victim of a scam using Western Union. The form will contain instructions on how to file a claim.

Consumers who do not receive a claim form, but believe they may have a valid claim, should visit www.WesternUnionRemission.com or call 844.319.2124 for details on filing a claim.

Completed claim forms must be submitted online or mailed back to the settlement administrator by February 12, 2018.