MoneyLion Class Action Lawsuit, Washington Residents Allegedly Hit With Unsolicited Referral Texts

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against the complaint filed in the Superior Court of Washington for King County, Murphy v. MoneyLion Technologies Inc., et al., Case No. 2:26-cv-01308, and the Law360 report dated April 16, 2026. Last Updated: May 9, 2026

MoneyLion Technologies Inc. and MoneyLion Inc. are facing a false advertising class action lawsuit in Washington state, alleging the fintech company’s refer-a-friend program flooded Washington residents with unsolicited promotional text messages without their consent — a direct violation of Washington’s Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA). Plaintiff Cabrina Murphy filed the lawsuit claiming MoneyLion sent the unsolicited text messages to consumers in Washington in an effort to attract new customers to its platform. No settlement exists yet, and no claim form is open.

MoneyLion CEMA Lawsuit — Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Lawsuit Filed	April 2026 (removed to federal court April 16, 2026)
Defendants	MoneyLion Technologies Inc. and MoneyLion Inc.
Plaintiff	Cabrina Murphy
Alleged Violation	Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA), RCW 19.190
Who Is Affected	Washington State residents who received unsolicited MoneyLion referral texts
Statutory Damages	Up to $500 per unsolicited text message
Current Court Stage	Active litigation — early stage, removed to federal court
Court & Jurisdiction	Originally filed in Superior Court of Washington, King County; removed to U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (Seattle)
Lead Attorneys	Kaleigh N. Boyd (McNaul Ebel PLLC); Edwin J. Kilpela Jr. (Wade Kilpela Slade LLP); Evan E. North (North Law PLLC)
Next Hearing Date	TBD — case in early litigation
Claim Form Available	No — no settlement exists yet
Last Updated	May 9, 2026

Where This Case Stands Right Now

• The case was removed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle on April 16, 2026.
• The case is in its earliest stage. MoneyLion has not yet responded to the complaint.
• No settlement has been proposed. No claim form exists. No payout amount has been announced.
• Washington residents who received a MoneyLion referral text do not need to do anything immediately — but they should preserve evidence now.

What Is the MoneyLion Lawsuit About? Murphy v. MoneyLion Technologies Inc., et al., Case No. 2:26-cv-01308

MoneyLion runs a refer-a-friend program that rewards existing users with account bonuses when they recruit new customers. Murphy claims MoneyLion’s referral program assists in the transmission of commercial electronic text messages to Washington residents who have not provided clear and affirmative consent to receive them. The complaint argues MoneyLion violates CEMA by allowing users to send referral messages without any intervening consent verification step, and by encouraging users to send multiple text messages at once to maximize referral compensation.

According to the complaint, Murphy received a commercial electronic text message with a referral link to sign up for MoneyLion from her friend, an existing MoneyLion user. The point is not that a friend sent the text — it is that MoneyLion designed, incentivized, and facilitated that send without first obtaining the recipient’s consent. Under CEMA, a company cannot escape liability simply by routing the message through a user’s phone.

The complaint states: “MoneyLion knew or had reason to know that its commercial referral messages would be transmitted by text message to Washington residents without consent. Alternatively, MoneyLion consciously avoids knowing whether users send referral text messages without obtaining recipients’ clear and affirmative consent in advance to receive these messages.”

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This is a well-established legal theory in Washington. The same argument succeeded against Cash App’s parent company Block, Inc., which paid a $12.5 million CEMA settlement in December 2025 over nearly identical referral text allegations. Chime Financial faced a similar lawsuit in 2025 under the same legal theory. For background on how these fintech CEMA cases have played out, see our coverage of Chime and Cash App lawsuit settlements.

Are You Part of the MoneyLion Class Action?

Murphy wants to represent a class of Washington residents who received MoneyLion’s allegedly illegal spam texts.

You may be part of this class if:

• You live or lived in Washington State when you received the text
• You received a text message from a friend or contact containing a MoneyLion referral link or invite
• You did not affirmatively consent in advance to receive commercial text messages from or on behalf of MoneyLion
• You did not sign up for MoneyLion before receiving the text — the message was promoting the platform to you as a non-user

You are likely NOT included if:

• You were already a MoneyLion user and had agreed to receive promotional messages from the company
• You live outside Washington State
• You received the text after opting in to communications from MoneyLion

You do not need to be a MoneyLion customer to be part of this class. The lawsuit is specifically about people who were targeted as non-users — people who received a referral pitch they never asked for.

What Washington’s CEMA Law Actually Says — And Why It Matters

The Commercial Electronic Mail Act is a state-specific consumer protection law originally passed in 1998 to cut down on unwanted, misleading or otherwise “spammy” emails. In 2003, the law was amended to include provisions to limit the transmission of unsolicited promotional text messages to Washington residents’ cell phones. The CEMA specifically states that companies are prohibited from initiating or assisting in the transmission of promotional text messages unless the recipient has “clearly and affirmatively consented in advance to receive these text messages.”

The key word is “assisting.” MoneyLion does not have to send the text itself to be liable. By building a referral program that incentivizes users to blast their contact lists — without verifying that those contacts consented — the company may have crossed the line CEMA draws.

The CEMA specifies that Washington residents who receive illegal, unsolicited texts can seek up to $500 per violation. Each text is a separate violation. If you received multiple referral texts, each one potentially carries its own $500 claim. Washington courts have also allowed treble damages under the Consumer Protection Act in CEMA cases, which can push individual recoveries higher.

What Are MoneyLion Plaintiffs Seeking?

Murphy demands a jury trial and requests an award of statutory damages for each illegal text, as well as attorney fees and costs and an injunction to end the allegedly illegal practices.

The lawsuit does not seek a fixed settlement dollar amount at this stage. What the plaintiff wants is for MoneyLion to pay $500 per text to every Washington resident who received an unsolicited referral message without consent — and to stop operating its referral program in its current form. The court would also need to certify the class before this case can proceed as a full class action.

What Should You Do If You Received a MoneyLion Referral Text?

Most Washington residents do not need to take legal action right now. If this case settles, the administrator will notify eligible class members. Here is what you can do today to protect your position:

Step 1 — Screenshot and save every text. Capture the full message, sender number, date, and time. If there are multiple texts, save all of them. This is your primary evidence.

Step 2 — Note when and where you were located. CEMA protections apply to Washington residents. If you were in Washington when you received the text, document that.

Step 3 — Do not file a claim right now. No claim form exists. Any website claiming you can file for a MoneyLion settlement today is not legitimate.

Step 4 — Do not sign up for MoneyLion using the referral link. Doing so could complicate your legal position as an affected non-user.

Step 5 — Contact an attorney if you want to explore individual options. Under CEMA, Washington residents can file individual lawsuits — not just join class actions — to recover $500 per violation. A free legal consultation with a consumer rights lawyer can help you evaluate whether individual action makes sense given how many texts you received.

Step 6 — Monitor this case. Check back at AllAboutLawyer.com for updates as the litigation progresses.

MoneyLion Washington Lawsuit Timeline

Milestone	Date
Complaint filed — Superior Court of Washington, King County	April 2026
Case removed to U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington	April 16, 2026
MoneyLion response due	TBD — early litigation stage
Class certification motion	TBD
Expected settlement timeline	TBD — active litigation; no settlement negotiations confirmed

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a class action lawsuit against MoneyLion for spam texts?

 Yes. Plaintiff Cabrina Murphy filed Murphy v. MoneyLion Technologies Inc., et al., originally in the Superior Court of Washington for King County and removed to federal court in Seattle on April 16, 2026. The lawsuit alleges MoneyLion violated Washington’s CEMA by facilitating unsolicited referral texts to Washington residents.

Do I need to do anything right now to be included?

 Not yet. Washington residents who received unsolicited MoneyLion referral texts are potentially part of the class automatically. Preserve screenshots and documentation now. No registration or sign-up is required at this stage.

How much could I receive if MoneyLion settles?

 CEMA provides for up to $500 per unsolicited text. Individual payouts in class actions depend on the total settlement amount and the number of valid claimants. In the comparable Cash App CEMA settlement, Washington recipients received $394.36 per person despite a $12.5 million fund — because so few people filed claims. The more people who file, the lower each individual payment.

Can I sue MoneyLion on my own instead of joining the class action?

 Yes. CEMA allows individual Washington residents to file their own lawsuits to recover $500 per violation — and treble damages under the Consumer Protection Act in some cases. If you received many texts, individual action may yield more than a class settlement. Consult a consumer rights lawyer to evaluate your situation.

How will I know if the MoneyLion case settles?

 If a settlement is reached, the court will require MoneyLion to notify eligible recipients. Notices typically come by mail or email. This page will be updated when any settlement is announced. You can also monitor the Western District of Washington federal court docket.

Has this type of lawsuit succeeded against other fintech companies? 

Yes — repeatedly. Cash App’s parent Block Inc. paid $12.5 million in December 2025, and Robinhood paid $9 million in 2024, both over CEMA violations from nearly identical referral text programs. Courts in Washington have consistently upheld CEMA claims against fintech companies running unsolicited refer-a-friend programs.

What is MoneyLion and is my financial data at risk? 

MoneyLion is a New York-based fintech company that offers cash advances, credit-building tools, banking accounts, and investing features. This lawsuit is about marketing texts — it does not involve a data breach or exposure of your financial information.

Sources & References

• Complaint: Murphy v. MoneyLion Technologies Inc., et al., Case No. 2:26-cv-01308, Superior Court of Washington, King County (filed April 2026; removed April 16, 2026)
• Law360 report: “MoneyLion Hit With Wash. Class Action Over Referral Texts,” April 16, 2026
• Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act: RCW 19.190.010 et seq.
• Washington Attorney General CEMA guidance: atg.wa.gov/washingtons-law

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding your particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.