Consumer complaint received 2022-03-14
Company: WESTERN UNION COMPANY, THE
State: PA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Money order
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
I have previously filed complaints to Federal Trade Commission and Federal Bureau Investigation regarding Money Orders that were taken from me through fraudulent or scam activity by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX that is operating in XXXX, Washington. Their XXXX account is XXXX XXXX Grants by copying a XXXX profile of one of my Church Members. 

I contacted Federal Trade Commission and representative told me to contact Western Union to get my Money back. I called Western Union and told them that I just got off the phone with FTC to file a complaint. I was told by Western Union representative to make copies of the forms, back of the Money order receipts. I made the copies filled out the forms send them to Western Union, XXXX box XXXX, XXXX, CO XXXX. They mailed Letters for me to pay {$15.00} professing fee for each Money order so that they can do their investigation. I send {$60.00} to them. I received four Money Order XXXX correspondence. I discovered that XXXX XXXX who was supposed to be the Secretary and Cashier for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, her used the Money to pay rent and deposit into her Bank Account with XXXX Bank. My understanding was that XXXX XXXX was supposed to stamp " XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  '' and send them to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, Washington. Rather than doing this, she used the Money for herself and probably lied that the Money Orders were sent to her. I called Western Union after I received XXXX XXXX XXXX and told them that the Money Order were not sent for her to be used for rent and put in her account. This means that she stole the Money because she is not purchaser of the Money orders. The Money orders were for processing fees for Grants that I was supposed to receive from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I never received any Grants from them, and XXXX XXXX used my Money herself. 

I was told that I will receive Affidavit Forms by mail to sign, notarized, and mail back to them. I received the Forms and called Western Union to ask about the documents that they were requesting to be included in the forms. I told them that I had already filed complaints with Federal Trade Commission and Federal Bureau Investigation. Western Union already knew about the complaints. I was told that since I have already filed a complaint. All I have to do sign the forms, notarized them and send back to them. I called again on XX/XX/2022, to get clarification to make sure that I filed out the form correctly. The Western Union XXXX couldn't even answer the question over the phone because he doesn't speak and understand English very well. He told me the wrong information, over the phone by saying " Just notarized both front and back! '' I repeated the question. He repeated the same answer " Just notarized both front and back '' I was just saying what he was told to say over the phone and didn't understand what they statement meant. 

I filed out, signed, notarized the Affidavit Forms and mailed them to Western Union. I called to ask about the refund process. I was told that I have to call every month to check on the " refund process ''. I called again on XX/XX/2022. I was told that since they received the Forms on XX/XX/XXXX. That it wasn't a month yet and told to call back on XX/XX/2022. I discovered that what they did before I called on XX/XX/XXXX. They refused and never did anything in term of " refund process ''. They mailed back the Affidavit forms with no explanation, as a way to cover up for XXXX XXXX, which might be an indicator that Western Union is a participant in this Fraudulent or Scam activity. They were hoping that by the time I call them. I would have already received the forms. When I called, I was asked for one Money order number and the amount over the phone. The XXXX woman representative, lied to me by saying that according to her records in the system, the refunds will be processed within six to eight weeks. I asked her, how are you going to process the refunds, when Western Union had already mailed the Affidavit forms back to me. I think this what either a set up or was planned to be done by Western Union employees. She told me that I mailed the Money orders  to XXXX XXXX XXXX. I told her that I didn't mail the Money orders to her to use for herself. The Money orders were for payments for process fees. XXXX XXXX was supposed to receive the Money orders, stamp " XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX '' and sent them off. She yelled at me over the phone and accused me of sending Money orders to her. I asked to speak to a supervisor. She said that the supervisors were all busy and was adamant and rude over the phone. I insisted speak to a supervisor. She refused. I told that since she didn't want to get a supervisor, I will a complaint against Western Union for being a participant in fraud. Then she asked for a phone so that a supervisor will call me back. I gave her my phone and said someone will call you back and hung up. I never got a call back.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation