Western Union Phase 3 Refunds, Fraud Victims Can File Claims Until December 31, 2026

If you lost money to a scam by sending a Western Union transfer between January 1, 2004, and March 9, 2020, you can ask the U.S. Department of Justice to compensate you. The Phase 3 petition deadline is December 31, 2026, and filing is free.

This is not a new class action settlement. It is a federal remission program that returns money Western Union forfeited in 2017 to people who were defrauded. The DOJ announced the third and final phase on October 7, 2026, and said it had already paid more than $436.9 million to more than 180,000 victims. Because forfeited funds remain, it reopened the process for people who never filed a petition.

Verita Global LLC (formerly Gilardi & Co.) is the remission administrator. Official site: WesternUnionRemissionPhase3.com. Questions: 1-833-419-4677.

Western Union Phase 3 Refund Program: Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Program	United States v. The Western Union Company, Phase 3 remission
Run by	U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division
Administrator	Verita Global LLC
Original forfeiture	$586 million (January 2017 deferred prosecution agreement)
Paid in Phases 1 and 2	More than $436.9 million to more than 180,000 victims
Phase 3 announced	October 7, 2026
Covered transfers	Sent through Western Union, January 1, 2004 – March 9, 2020
What you must show	The transfer was fraud-induced and the loss was not already repaid
Petition deadline	December 31, 2026 (online, or mailed with a postmark by that date)
Cost to file	$0
Payment date	Not announced

The $586 million is the total Western Union forfeited back in 2017. It is not a fresh pot of money for Phase 3 filers, and the DOJ has not published a per-person amount for new petitions.

Who Qualifies for Western Union Phase 3 Refunds?

You may qualify if you sent a Western Union money transfer in the covered period, the transfer was tied to a fraud, and you have not already been repaid. The DOJ reviews and verifies each petition before it approves anything.

U.S. citizenship and a U.S. address are not required, according to the administrator’s FAQ. A transfer sent from or to another country can still count if it meets the program’s fraud and date requirements.

Which scams does the Western Union remission cover?

The DOJ’s announcement names three scams aimed at seniors: the grandparent scam (a fraudster poses as a relative who needs money fast), lottery or sweepstakes scams (you “won” a prize but must pay fees or taxes first), and romance scams (an online love interest asks for money). The program is not limited to those three, but those are the ones the government points to. A transfer still has to be verified as fraud-induced, so do not assume every disputed payment qualifies.

Why did Phase 3 extend the dates to March 2020?

Phase 2 covered transfers through January 19, 2017, the date of Western Union’s agreement with the government. Phase 3 pushes the end date to March 9, 2020. Someone told earlier that a transfer fell outside the window may now be covered. According to the administrator, people whose earlier petitions were denied only because the transfer fell after the old cutoff did not need to file those same transfers again. If you expected a letter and never got one, contact Verita.

Can you file if you never reported the fraud to Western Union?

Yes, you can still file. You will need to give the administrator enough information to verify the transfer and the loss.

How Much Can Western Union Fraud Victims Get Back?

There is no flat payment. The DOJ looks at each petitioner’s verified fraud losses, and its stated goal is to compensate victims for those losses. Approval and the final amount are up to the DOJ, based on the records you provide and the funds left.

Rough examples of how the math works:

Situation	Loss the DOJ might consider
Sent $800 to a scammer, never repaid	Up to $800
Sent $2,000, already recovered $500	Up to $1,500
Sent $5,000, already repaid in full	Nothing left to recover

These are illustrations, not promises. Per the administrator’s guidance, expect transfer fees and side costs from the scam (such as travel or bank charges) not to be part of a remission payment.

Separately, the DOJ announced about $3.4 million in additional remission to 1,294 victims alongside the Phase 3 launch. That is a payment to people already in the process. It is not the total available to new filers.

How to File a Western Union Phase 3 Refund Petition

The official name is a Petition for Remission. The deadline is December 31, 2026.

File online

1. Go to WesternUnionRemissionPhase3.com and choose File Claim.
2. If you got a letter with a Claim ID and PIN, enter them to see the transfers already on file.
3. List each qualifying Western Union transfer: date, amount and the 10-digit Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) if you have it.
4. Confirm the amount you lost and upload any records you have.
5. Complete the declaration, submit, and save your confirmation.

File by mail

Download the blank petition from the official site, complete and sign it, and mail it to:

United States v. The Western Union Company Phase 3, P.O. Box 301132, Los Angeles, CA 90030-1132

A mailed petition must be postmarked by December 31, 2026. Do not email your petition or supporting documents. Submit them through the official online portal or by mail.

Why do some pages still show August 19, 2026?

Phase 3 originally opened with an August 19, 2026 deadline, and plenty of older summaries and forms still show it. The DOJ’s October 7 announcement gives December 31 as the deadline to file. If you see August 19 on an older page or form, December 31 is the date to follow, and you can confirm it with Verita at 1-833-419-4677.

What Documents Help a Western Union Refund Petition?

Useful records include Western Union receipts, MTCNs, bank or card statements showing the transfer, emails or messages with the scammer, and any police or fraud report you filed. Not everyone will have all of these.

What if you lost your Western Union receipt?

Western Union has a transaction-history request form that may help recover older transfers, but old records may be hard to get. File with whatever you do have, and call Verita before the deadline if you cannot find an MTCN. The DOJ has not promised to approve petitions that cannot be verified.

What if you got a prefilled petition?

Some victims were mailed a petition showing transfers and losses already on record. If the details are right, review them, complete the identification section, sign and return it. If something is missing or wrong, use the supplemental transaction form and attach whatever supports your corrected amount.

Can People Paid in Phase 1 or Phase 2 Apply Again?

Only for transfers you never submitted before. You cannot be paid twice for the same loss. If you were already compensated in full for a transfer, it is off the table, but a different qualifying transfer that was never part of an earlier petition can be included now.

Why Did Western Union Forfeit $586 Million?

In January 2017, Western Union signed a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department and agreed to forfeit $586 million. The company acknowledged criminal conduct that included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud. A parallel civil case was resolved with the Federal Trade Commission.

According to the DOJ, fraudsters persuaded victims, including many seniors, to send money through Western Union, and some owners, operators or employees of Western Union locations were complicit. Western Union aided the scheme by failing to suspend or terminate complicit agents and by letting them keep processing fraud-induced transfers. The company met its obligations under the agreement, and the court dismissed the criminal information in 2020.

What does remission mean?

Remission is the process the government uses to give forfeited assets back to victims of a crime. It is governed by 28 C.F.R. Part 9. You do not get paid because you bought a product or belonged to a certified class. You have to show a financial loss connected to the fraud, and the DOJ decides.

When Will Western Union Phase 3 Refunds Be Paid?

No payment date has been announced for newly filed petitions. Verification, eligibility review and government offset checks all take time. Approved payments can be reduced by a federal or state debt through the Treasury Offset Program, which is why the petition asks for an SSN or ITIN where one applies. That reduction is separate from how the DOJ calculates your loss.

If the victim has died, an authorized representative may be able to file for the estate. Expect to provide proof of death and proof of authority.

How to Avoid Western Union Refund Scams

People who were defrauded once are prime targets for a second scam. The DOJ says neither it nor Verita will ask for any payment to take part. Walk away if someone:

• asks for a fee to release or speed up your refund
• wants payment in gift cards, crypto or another wire
• asks for bank passwords or login credentials
• sends you to a look-alike website

Enter your details only through the official site above. Automatic government refunds work differently: for example, the FTC’s Cleo AI payments needed no claim form, as covered in Cleo AI FTC Refund, $15.8 Million Going to 2,124,796 Customers – Eligibility, Payment Dates and How to Get Paid. For more, see FTC Refunds August 2026: Who’s Getting Paid?.

Western Union Phase 3 Refund FAQ

Is the Western Union Phase 3 refund program real?

Yes. The Department of Justice announced it on October 7, 2026, and named Verita Global LLC as the administrator.

Is Western Union paying a new $586 million settlement?

No. The $586 million is the amount Western Union forfeited in 2017.

What is the Western Union Phase 3 deadline?

December 31, 2026, online or postmarked.

Which Western Union transfers qualify?

Fraud-induced transfers sent from January 1, 2004, through March 9, 2020.

Can romance scam victims file?

Yes, potentially. Romance scams are one of the schemes the DOJ names.

Can I file if I never got a notice?

Yes. The DOJ reopened the process for victims who never submitted a petition.

Do I need my MTCN?

The petition asks for it, but contact the administrator if you cannot find it.

Can I claim the Western Union transfer fee?

According to the administrator, fees and side costs are not covered.

Can I file if I was already repaid?

Only for transfers that were never submitted and compensated before.

Can people outside the U.S. file?

Yes. U.S. citizenship and residence are not required.

Can I send my petition by email?

No. Use the online portal or mail.

When will payments arrive?

No date has been announced.

Bottom Line on Western Union Phase 3 Refunds

If you were scammed through a Western Union transfer between 2004 and March 2020 and never got your money back, you have until December 31, 2026 to file. It costs nothing, but approval and the amount are up to the DOJ. Use the official site or the administrator’s phone line, and ignore anyone asking you to pay.

Official Sources

• DOJ: Department of Justice Announces Phase Three of Compensation Process for Western Union Fraud Victims, October 7, 2026
• Western Union Phase 3 Official Remission Website
• Official Phase 3 Frequently Asked Questions
• DOJ: Large Remission Matters
• FTC: Western Union Refunds
• 28 C.F.R. Part 9

Update log

• November 13, 2026: Initial publication. Deadline December 31, 2026; no payment date announced.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the DOJ’s October 7, 2026 announcement and the administrator’s published program information, as of November 13, 2026. Last Updated: November 13, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney. AllAboutLawyer.com is not affiliated with the DOJ, FTC, Western Union or Verita.