Victims of a scam involving Western Union are being urged by Highland Council’s trading standards team to file a claim.
Officers are advising that consumers duped into making payment through Western Union wire transfer between January 1 2004 and January 19 this year can claim through America’s Federal Trade Commission to get some, if not all, of their money back.
The firm agreed to pay $586 million for turning a blind eye to scammers who used its service to trick people into paying for bogus prizes, loans, jobs, discounted products and other financial rewards in exchange for money upfront.
Reports suggest that Western Union received more than 550,000 complaints from people who lost money to a scam using its payment service.
The money forfeited by Western Union will be used to refund scams victims and the Federal Trade Commission recently confirmed that UK residents are eligible.
Mark McGinty, Highland Council Trading Standards team leader said: “More often than not scams victims don’t get their money back, especially when cash is involved, so I am delighted at the prospect that some scams victims in Highland might see a return of their money. I would urge any Highland resident who thinks they may be eligible for a refund, to file a claim as quickly as possible.”
The deadline for filing a claim is February 12 2018. It is expected to take up to a year to process and verify all the claims and determine who is eligible to get a payment.
Highland consumers requiring advice on scams are urged to contact the Citizens Advice Helpline on 03454 04 05 06 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/consumer/ .
