Idaho fraud victims can seek compensation

November 15, 2017

Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced Tuesday that Idahoans who sent money to scammers through Western Union’s wire transfer service may be eligible for compensation from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Victim Asset Recovery Program. The $586 million fund is part of the multistate settlement with Western Union Company that Idaho, along with 49 other states and the District of Columbia, signed in January 2017. During the past year, the settlement administrator has gathered the names of eligible consumers from multiple complaint sources, including the Idaho Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The administrator will mail claim forms to eligible Idahoans in the next two weeks. The forms include eligibility information as well as instructions about how to file a claim. A consumer who does not receive a form in the mail but believes he or she is eligible to receive payment from the fund may file at www.westernunionremission.com. Consumers also may call 1-844-319-2124, toll free, for more information on how to file a claim. The deadline to file a claim is February 12, 2018.