If you lost money to a scammer who had you pay using Western Union between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, you can now file a claim to get your money back. 

As part of a 586 million dollar settlement with the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s office; money has been made available to reimburse crime victims. The deadline to apply for restitution is May 31, 2018.

For years, many people who lost money to scams sent their payment through a Western Union wire transfer. Scammers contacted people and promised prizes, loans, jobs, discounted products or other financial rewards in exchange for money upfront. They also pretended to be family members in need of cash or law enforcement officers demanding payment. The scammers told people to send money through Western Union. No one received the cash, prizes or services they were promised.

This information is being offered as assistance to crime victims and the Toms River Police Department is not involved in processing any settlements and cannot assist victims in processing their claims.

Click here to see if you qualify.