Western Union Remission Phase 3: Fraud Victims Can Claim a Share of $586M (Deadline Aug. 19, 2026)
Western Union Remission Phase 3 Victim Compensation
The U.S. Department of Justice has reopened the Western Union remission process to compensate additional victims who lost money to fraud through Western Union wire transfers. Victims who sent a Western Union money transfer between January 1, 2004 and March 9, 2020 as a result of a scam can file a Petition for Remission by August 19, 2026 to seek a share of the $586 million Western Union forfeited under its 2017 deferred prosecution agreement.
Settlement fund
$586M
Common fund
Top payout
Up to 100%
of verified eligible loss
Claim deadline
Aug 19, 2026
83 days remaining
You may be owed money
Filing is free and takes a few minutes. Deadline: Aug 19, 2026.
Do you qualify?
You are a Class Member if ALL of the following apply:
- You sent one or more money transfers through Western Union between January 1, 2004 and March 9, 2020.
- The transfer(s) were the result of a fraud scheme, including the grandparent scam (a caller posed as a relative in urgent need of money), lottery or sweepstakes scams (you were told you won a prize but had to pay fees or taxes to claim it), romance scams (a fake online love interest requested funds), or another consumer fraud scheme.
- You did not receive the promised relative help, cash prize, item, or other thing of value.
- U.S. citizenship is not required, and you do not have to live in the United States to file a petition.
- Excluded: Transfers made after March 9, 2020. If your previously denied petition fell outside the prior Jan. 1, 2004 – Jan. 19, 2017 window but is inside the extended period, DOJ already granted it on May 21, 2026 and a check was mailed; no new petition is needed unless you have additional transactions.
Not sure if you qualify? Call the Remission Administrator at 1-833-419-4677, or visit WesternUnionRemissionPhase3.com.
What happened
On January 19, 2017, The Western Union Company entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States. Western Union acknowledged responsibility for criminal conduct that included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud, and it agreed to forfeit $586 million to compensate victims of an international consumer fraud scheme investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Fraudsters used Western Union's money-transfer system to run grandparent scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, romance scams, and similar schemes; victims sent money but never received the promised relative help, prize, or other item.
Across Phases 1 and 2, the Department of Justice has already distributed more than $430 million to over 178,000 victims, all of whom received full compensation for their verified losses. Because forfeited funds remain available, DOJ has now opened Phase 3 and extended the eligible transfer window to January 1, 2004 through March 9, 2020 (previously the window ended January 19, 2017). Western Union admitted to the conduct underlying the forfeiture; this is an administrative remission process governed by 28 C.F.R. Part 9, not a class action settlement.
How to file a claim
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1. Confirm you are eligible
You must have sent a Western Union money transfer between January 1, 2004 and March 9, 2020 that was caused by a fraud scheme (grandparent scam, lottery or sweepstakes scam, romance scam, or similar). You do not need to be a U.S. citizen, and there is no fee or attorney required to file.
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2. Gather your transaction details
Collect any Western Union receipts, money-transfer send forms, or the 10-digit Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) for each fraudulent transfer. If you cannot find your records, you can request a copy of your transfer receipts from Western Union at westernunion.com/self-service-form/carf-form (Western Union retains records for 10 years). If you previously reported the loss to Western Union, your loss amount may already be on file in a pre-populated petition.
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3. File online or by mail by Aug. 19, 2026
Submit a Petition for Remission online at veritaconnect.com/WesternUnionRemissionPhase3/Claimant by August 19, 2026, or mail a paper petition (postmarked by August 19, 2026) to: United States v. The Western Union Company Phase 3, P.O. Box 301132, Los Angeles, CA 90030-1132. Petitions cannot be submitted by email. A blank petition form is available on the Case Documents tab at WesternUnionRemissionPhase3.com.
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4. Wait for DOJ review and payment
DOJ's Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section compares each petition to Western Union's records and decides whether to grant it. Approved petitioners receive payment for some or all of their approved loss after a Treasury Offset Program check for federal or qualifying state debts. The Department of Justice has not provided an estimated payment timeline; check the official Phase 3 website for updates.
Key dates
- May 21, 2026 Grant letters mailed to previously denied Phase 1 & 2 petitioners with transactions in the extended window Past
- Aug 19, 2026 Petition for Remission filing deadline (online or postmark) Upcoming
- N/A No Fairness Hearing (administrative DOJ remission, not a class action) Not applicable
- TBD after DOJ review Payments issued to approved petitioners Pending
This is a DOJ-administered remission process under 28 C.F.R. Part 9, not a class action. There is no Fairness Hearing, no opt-out, and no settlement court approval. Petitions must be postmarked or submitted online on or before August 19, 2026. Mailed petitions postmarked after the deadline may be accepted at the Justice Department's discretion. Check WesternUnionRemissionPhase3.com for the latest information.
Where the money is going
Western Union forfeited $586 million to the United States under its 2017 deferred prosecution agreement. That money is being distributed to verified victims through the DOJ remission process. Phases 1 and 2 already paid out more than $430 million to over 178,000 victims; Phase 3 uses the remaining forfeited funds to compensate additional eligible victims, including those with transfers in the newly added Jan. 19, 2017 – March 9, 2020 window.
Phase 3 payments are based on the amount you transferred (in U.S. dollars, using historical conversion for foreign-currency transfers), minus any refund you have already received. Payments do not cover Western Union fees, incidental losses, or transfers sent through other companies. Federal and qualifying state debts may be offset before payment under the Treasury Offset Program.
Common questions
How much money will I receive?
Your payment is based on the eligible amount you transferred through Western Union as a result of the fraud, minus any refund you already received. Western Union fees, incidental losses, and transfers sent through other companies are not recoverable. Across Phases 1 and 2, DOJ has reported that all approved petitioners received full compensation for their verified losses, but DOJ does not guarantee a specific payment amount in Phase 3.
Do I need to submit proof of purchase?
Yes. You should submit a Petition for Remission with supporting documentation such as the Western Union money-transfer send form, receipt, or your 10-digit Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN), plus information detailing the fraud. If you cannot find your records, Western Union retains transaction history for 10 years and you can request a copy at westernunion.com/self-service-form/carf-form. Do not send original documents; keep copies for your records.
What if I didn’t receive a notice?
You can still file a petition even if you did not receive a notice in the mail. DOJ mailed pre-populated petitions to victims it had already identified, but anyone who believes they were defrauded through Western Union between January 1, 2004 and March 9, 2020 can submit a new petition online at veritaconnect.com/WesternUnionRemissionPhase3/Claimant or download a blank petition from the Case Documents tab at WesternUnionRemissionPhase3.com.
Does staying in the class affect my right to sue later?
This is an administrative DOJ remission process, not a class action settlement. There is no opt-out, no release of legal claims tied to filing, and no class-wide release. Filing a Petition for Remission simply asks DOJ to compensate you from the forfeited funds. You should consult your own attorney about any separate civil claims you may have against Western Union or other parties.
When will payments be sent out?
DOJ has not published an estimated payment timeline for Phase 3. Approved petitions are reviewed by the Treasury Offset Program to check for federal or qualifying state debts before a check is mailed. Petitioners whose previously denied claims were granted on May 21, 2026 (because their transactions fell in the extended Jan. 19, 2017 – March 9, 2020 window) already received a check; if you have not received a letter by June 8, 2026, call 1-833-419-4677. Check WesternUnionRemissionPhase3.com for updates.
Dapeer Law, P.A.
Consumer class action attorneys based in South Florida. We track settlements so you don’t have to.
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This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Dapeer Law, P.A. is not the administrator of this remission process and is not affiliated with The Western Union Company, Verita Global LLC (formerly Gilardi & Co. LLC) (the Remission Administrator), or the U.S. Department of Justice. This is a DOJ-administered remission process under 28 C.F.R. Part 9 stemming from the case United States v. The Western Union Company, in which Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement on January 19, 2017 and acknowledged responsibility for criminal conduct, including violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud. It is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. This is not a class action settlement; there is no Class Counsel, no class representatives, and no Fairness Hearing. This website is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
