Consumer complaint received 2025-02-24 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: WESTERN UNION COMPANY, THE
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Formal Complaint Against Western Union for Fraudulent Transactions, Consumer Protection Violations, and Request for Full Investigation To Whom It May Concern, I am filing this formal complaint against Western Union Financial Services , Inc. for its failure to prevent fraudulent transactions, refusal to provide consumer protection, and lack of compliance with federal regulations. Despite previous regulatory actions against Western Union, the company continues to enable fraud, and I am demanding a full refund of my lost funds and a federal investigation into their fraud prevention policies. 

Statement of Facts : Between XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX, I sent a total of {$1900.00} via Western Union to XXXX XXXX, believing it was for legitimate charitable purposes. Upon discovering the recipient was engaging in fraud, I immediately contacted Western Union customer service, only to be told that because the transactions were completed, I could not receive a refund. 

This response is unacceptable and demonstrates Western Unions failure to implement industry-standard fraud prevention measures, violating federal consumer protection laws. Below are details of the fraudulent transactions : Date Recipient Amount ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Complete Violations and Legal Precedents : 1. Failure to Implement Fraud Protection ( Electronic Fund Transfer Act - 15 U.S.C. 1693 et seq. ) Western Union is required by law to provide safeguards against unauthorized and fraudulent transactions.

Refusing to investigate or refund fraud victims violates EFTA consumer protection provisions.

2. Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices ( Federal Trade Commission Act - 15 U.S.C. 45 ) Western Union markets itself as a secure money transfer service but fails to implement effective fraud prevention, misleading consumers into thinking their transactions are safe.

This is a clear violation of the FTC Act prohibiting deceptive trade practices. 
3. Precedent Case : FTC v. Western Union ( XXXX ) - {$580.00} XXXX Settlement for Fraud Negligence In FTC XXXX Western Union ( XXXX ), Western Union was forced to pay {$580.00} XXXX after failing to prevent fraudulent transactions. 
The DOJ and FTC found Western Union ignored fraud complaints, similar to what happened in my case.

Despite this multi-million-dollar penalty, Western Union has continued its negligent practices, allowing fraud victims like me to suffer financial losses.

4. Recent CFPB and FTC Actions Against Western Union ( XXXX Lawsuit & Investigations ) The CFPB recently sued Western Union in XXXX for repeated violations of federal financial laws. 
Western Unions failure to prevent scams and issue refunds continues to harm consumers, showing an ongoing pattern of regulatory noncompliance.

Request for Full Investigation : Due to Western Unions negligence and repeated failure to protect consumers, I formally request the following actions : Immediate reimbursement of {$1900.00} for the fraudulent transactions listed above.

A federal regulatory investigation into Western Unions failure to prevent fraud, conducted by the CFPB, FTC, and DOJ.

A federal mandate requiring Western Union to implement stronger fraud prevention measures, similar to those imposed under the XXXX settlement agreement. 
A formal explanation from Western Union regarding why it continues to fail at preventing fraud and refuses to assist victims.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation