February 10th, 2023
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) announced today the disbursement of over $115 million to 38,889 victims in connection with fraud schemes processed by MoneyGram International Inc. (MoneyGram). The victims, many of whom are elderly, will recover the full amount of their losses.
“This distribution of $115.8 million to nearly 40,000 victims – each of whom is being fully compensated for their losses – demonstrates the Department of Justice’s continued commitment to making victims whole,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This is an example of how the department will use every tool at its disposal, including in corporate criminal matters, to provide justice to victims.”
MoneyGram originally entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice in 2012 for willfully failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and aiding and abetting fraud schemes that generally targeted the elderly and other vulnerable groups. In November 2018, MoneyGram agreed to extend its DPA, implemented additional enhanced compliance obligations, and forfeited $125 million – representing the volume of consumer fraud transactions it processed during the DPA term. The USPIS is using these forfeited funds to compensate the victims of the fraud through the remission process. MoneyGram completed its DPA in May 2021.
In the 2009 settlement with the FTC, MoneyGram agreed to put in place a fraud prevention program which, among other things, required the company to promptly investigate, restrict, suspend, and terminate high-fraud agents. The FTC charged that MoneyGram was aware of continued fraud on their payment network after the settlement, turning a blind eye for years to numerous instances of suspicious payment activity by the company’s agents.
Consumers receiving refunds in this distribution are those who submitted claims during the open claims process in 2021. More information about the MoneyGram refund program and its compensation to consumers who were harmed is available on DOJ’s MoneyGram remission website https://moneygramremission.com. Further questions may be directed to DOJ’s MoneyGram Remission Administrator by phone at 844-269-2630 or by email at info@moneygramremission.com back...
“This distribution of $115.8 million to nearly 40,000 victims – each of whom is being fully compensated for their losses – demonstrates the Department of Justice’s continued commitment to making victims whole,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This is an example of how the department will use every tool at its disposal, including in corporate criminal matters, to provide justice to victims.”
MoneyGram originally entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice in 2012 for willfully failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and aiding and abetting fraud schemes that generally targeted the elderly and other vulnerable groups. In November 2018, MoneyGram agreed to extend its DPA, implemented additional enhanced compliance obligations, and forfeited $125 million – representing the volume of consumer fraud transactions it processed during the DPA term. The USPIS is using these forfeited funds to compensate the victims of the fraud through the remission process. MoneyGram completed its DPA in May 2021.
In the 2009 settlement with the FTC, MoneyGram agreed to put in place a fraud prevention program which, among other things, required the company to promptly investigate, restrict, suspend, and terminate high-fraud agents. The FTC charged that MoneyGram was aware of continued fraud on their payment network after the settlement, turning a blind eye for years to numerous instances of suspicious payment activity by the company’s agents.
Consumers receiving refunds in this distribution are those who submitted claims during the open claims process in 2021. More information about the MoneyGram refund program and its compensation to consumers who were harmed is available on DOJ’s MoneyGram remission website https://moneygramremission.com. Further questions may be directed to DOJ’s MoneyGram Remission Administrator by phone at 844-269-2630 or by email at info@moneygramremission.com back...
