Reimbursements made available for Western Union scam victims

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Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Reimbursements made available for Western Union scam victims
Nina Pineda has more on the Western Union scam reimbursements.

TOMS RIVER, New Jersey (WABC) -- Victims of a scam involving Western Union are now able to receive reimbursements as part of a $586 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

If you lost money to a scammer who had you pay using Western Union between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, you can now file a claim to get your money back. The deadline to apply for restitution is May 31, 2018.

For years, many people who lost money to scams sent their payment through a Western Union wire transfer.

Scammers contacted people and promised prizes, loans, jobs, discounted products or other financial rewards in exchange for money up front. They also pretended to be family members in need of cash or law enforcement officers demanding payment.

The scammers told people to send money through Western Union. No one received the cash, prizes or services that were promised.

The information was released by the Toms River Police Department to provide assistance to crime victims. However, the Toms River Police Department is not involved in processing any settlements and cannot assist victims in processing their claims.

Click here to see if you qualify.

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