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Let Joe Know: Are Western Union refund letters real?

Posted at 7:21 PM, Jan 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-05 21:21:38-05

The odds of winning those huge lottery jackpots are slim but there could be a different kind of payout coming your way.  

Donna in Payson let me know her son received a letter referencing the "United States vs Western Union" and that years ago "he lost $1900 wiring money." The letter says to get that money back from a lawsuit settlement, "he needs to sign the document and return it by February 12, 2018."  

She asks, "is this legitimate or another scam?"

A lot of people have lost money in Western Union wiring scams.

But $1900? And all you have to do is fill out a form? Sounds to good to be true. But this case might be the exception.

In 2017 Western Union admitted to aiding and abetting wire fraud.The result was a $586 million settlement with the feds. For people who lost money from January 1,  2004 through January 17, 2017.

The Federal Trade Commission says those who already filed losses are getting notices to file claims for reimbursement.

And a website set up by the agency confirms that the contact information and company that sent the notice to Donna's son are legitimate. 

Now the FTC still has to verify all claims and payouts will depend on how many people qualify.  But if you didn't get a letter you can still file the cutoff is February 12.