I am filing a complaint against Western Union regarding an uncashed money order in the amount of {$500.00}. I purchased a money order in XX/XX/year>, with them at a XXXX that I worked at. Me and over XXXX people bought money orders and they all came back as fraud. Since I worked at the XXXX, I knew it wasn't on me or my team. Western Union then stated to the XXXX that a specific amount of money order papers came back as undetectable by them meaning they had no proof of purchase showing up in the system. I've submitted XXXX refund requests, called over XXXX times, got transferred and escalated to multiple departments each time I call and now today XX/XX/XXXX, I've received an email that stated they would not send my money back to me. This delay is unreasonable and has caused me to go to eviction court and I almost lost my apartment.
CFPB COMPLAINT DATABASE
Western Union Company, the
186 real consumer complaints filed against Western Union Company, the at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the last 12 months. 0 received relief from the company. Median federal response time: 15 days.
Most common issues
- 01Other transaction problem46
- 02Money was not available when promised35
- 03Lost or stolen money order28
- 04Fraud or scam28
- 05Problem with customer service16
Top states filing
Recent complaints
The 30 most recent complaints against Western Union Company, the where the consumer chose to publish their narrative.
To the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I want to thank the CFPB for providing a clear and accessible process for consumers to report fraud. Your platform ensures that companies are held accountable and that victims have a voice when faced with financial wrongdoing. I am submitting this complaint to escalate a fraud claim totaling {$4800.00} ( MTCN XXXX ) originally reported on XX/XX/year>. Despite submitting full documentation, including police reports, FTC complaints, XXXX prior CFPB complaints, BBB complaints ( now closed ), and multiple letters to Western Unions executive office, I have received no substantive resolution or reimbursement. Their continued inaction demonstrates a lack of sympathy and a failure to protect fraud victims, leaving consumers exposed and at risk.…
b"Subject : \nCrypto Currency Recovery - Legal Firm ( XXXX) - Money collected from me by International Money Transfers through the XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXs and Western Union Money Transfers about XXXX USD. Request for refund from the XXXX XXXX such as XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Complaint Regarding Coordinated Cryptocurrency Recovery Scam and Financial Fraud\n\nSir,\n\nI am writing to report a suspected cryptocurrency recovery scam involving a law firm and associated individuals who appear to have defrauded me under the pretense of recovering lost digital assets.\n\nOn XXXX XXXX XXXX I engaged with a company identified as XXXX XXXX XXXX which claimed to specialize in recovering funds lost in cryptocurrency scam. During this process, I was directed to coordinate with individuals involved in facilitating the recovery.…
I sent a Western Union Money Transfer of XXXX to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, TX XXXX, XXXX. {$200.00} plus {$6.00} for transfer fee and {$2.00} for XXXX XXXX XXXX for a total of {$200.00}, exchange total XXXX XXXX and transfer amount of XXXX XXXX. Western Union Transfer was purchased on XXXX at XXXX from XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX XXXX # XXXX XXXX # XXXX XXXX # XXXX XXXX # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, Tx XXXX. Western Union Money Transfer SALE XXXX XXXX XXXX I notified my daughter last night at XXXX XXXX. and she said that she would pick it up today and whenever she went, she reported that the money had already been picked up.
On XX/XX/XXXX, I purchased two money orders from Western Union totaling {$1500.00} to pay my rent. I mailed these money orders to my property management office using a secure United States Postal Service collection box. Several weeks later, I was informed by my property management that the money orders were never received. I contacted Western Union and was advised that both money orders had been fraudulently cashed by an unknown party. I promptly completed and submitted all required fraud claim and refund request documentation as instructed by Western Union. After processing my claim, Western Union informed me that a refund check was issued on XX/XX/XXXX. However, I have never received this refund check. Since that time, I have made multiple attempts to resolve this matter directly with Western Union. Despite my efforts, I have not been provided with a replacement check or a clear resolution. I am being given inconsistent information and ongoing delays.…
What happened : On XX/XX/year> and XX/XX/year>, I transferred {$970.00}, {$1200.00}, and {$1400.00} from XXXX to my Western Union account. I was initially told to wait XXXXXX/XX/XXXX for the issue to be resolved, and I followed instructions. It has now been nearly XXXX month, and I was recently informed that the funds do not exist in my account. I also received a new card and all previous transaction history was deleted. I have contacted Western Union multiple times, but I continue to receive inconsistent information and different case numbers, making it impossible to track or access my funds properly. I urgently request CFPBs assistance to investigate this matter and ensure that my funds are restored and accessible immediately.
I am submitting this complaint regarding Western Unions refusal to process a refund on a {$500.00} money order made payable to me, XXXX XXXX. I am in physical possession of the original money order, and it has not been cashed. When I initially submitted a refund request through Western Unions system, the system confirmed that the money order had not been cashed or refunded and allowed me to proceed. However, at the final step, the website froze and did not generate any confirmation. Because there was no confirmation, I reasonably believed the request did not go through and submitted a second request. Western Union is now denying the refund on the basis that a request was already submitted. Both submissions were made by me due solely to a system malfunction on their website. No third party has possession of the money order, and no unauthorized request could have been made. There is no legitimate basis to deny this refund.…
I purchased a Western Union money order ( XX/XX/XXXXXXXX ) for {$500.00} at XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX2026 as rent payment for my landlord,XX/XX/XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, FL XXXX XXXX. The money order was presented to XXXX XXXX Bank and returned unpaid on XX/XX/XXXX with the reason " Refer to MakeXXXX. '' I have the XXXX XXXX return notice as proof it was never cashed. I contacted Western Union at XXXX on multiple occasions. On XXXX separate occasions, agents told me they would escalate the situation and send me an email with information on how to move forward. I never received either email. The XX/XX/XXXXpromise was made approximately XXXX month ago, theXX/XX/XXXX over a week ago. When I called again most recently, instead of resolving the issue, they simply resent me the original photocopy of the money order the same document that started this dispute.…
On XX/XX/year> my daughter 's father purchased money orders for {$750.00} through XXXXWestern Union for her child support payable to me. On XXXX26 I deposited the money orders into my account at XXXX XXXX. on XXXX26 XXXX XXXX notified me that the money orders were returned unpaid and the funds were withdrawn from my account. Both my daughter 's father, XXXX XXXX and I have called Western Union with no clear solution. They have denied the refunds twice. They have given us the run around as to why there was a stop payment and how to resolve for a refund. We have provided the copies of the money orders, receipts, email received from XXXX XXXX and still there has been no resolution since XXXX/26 when we started calling Western Union. They always transfer us around to different departments, make a ticket for escalation which resolves nothing. We have spoken to several managers and then unable to reach them again. We have been hung up on while speaking.
A complaint is hereby filed regarding the execution of eight ( 8 ) unauthorized international transfers carried out in XXXX, totaling USD XXXX, processed through Agent Branch XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) and destined for XXXX. These transactions were processed through identity theftwithout the physical presence of the account holder or the signing of the mandatory remittance formsthereby demonstrating a critical failure in the company 's identity validation ( XXXX ) protocols. The transaction pattern reveals a lack of due diligence regarding fraud control and anti-money laundering measures, as the company permitted five ( 5 ) remittances of exactly USD XXXX on consecutive days to the same beneficiaries, along with three ( 3 ) additional remittancestotaling eight ( 8 ) transactions in all. This constitutes a clear indicator of " structuring, '' which should have been flagged and blocked by the company 's compliance systems.…
I purchased two Western Union money orders totaling {$1300.00} on XX/XX/year> at XXXX in XXXX, Alabama for rent. The money orders were accidentally destroyed in the wash before they could be used. I submitted refund request XXXX and provided proof of purchase, including a XXXX transaction history showing the money order serial numbers ( XXXX for {$1000.00} and XXXX for {$330.00} ), purchase date, total amount, and debit card payment confirmation. Western Union responded stating the documentation was insufficient but did not clearly explain what specific information was missing. I have contacted them multiple times requesting clarification on what is insufficient about the document provided, but I have not received a clear response. I also requested that a supervisor or representative contact me directly, but I have not received any response. I contacted XXXX, and they confirmed that the transaction history is the only documentation they can provide.…
On XX/XX/year>, I sent {$100.00} with tracking number XXXX. I never shared the tracking number with anyone. The money was picked up by an unknown person, so I filed a complaint with Western Union and was given case number XXXX XXXXXXXX. A week later, they said proof of the transaction was sent to my email, but after checking all my inboxes and spam folders, I found no such email. I requested the proof again, but still received nothing, even though they claimed it was picked up with the correct ID.
I sent {$400.00} through Western Union in XX/XX/XXXX ( XXXX ending in XXXX ) to my brother in XXXX. The transfer was sent as a mobile wallet transfer, but the receiver does not have a bank account or mobile wallet and never received the funds. On or around XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Western Union and was given a case number. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email stating they would contact the bank and provide an update. I never received any follow-up after that. I contacted Western Union again in XX/XX/XXXX and sent follow-up emails on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, but I did not receive any response. As of today, the funds have still not been received, and Western Union has not provided any clear information about where the money was deposited.
XXXX of XXXX XXXX XX/XX/year> On XX/XX/year>, I was contacted by an individual who later turned out to be a scammer. During this interaction, I was pressured and manipulated into believing that I needed to send money urgently. Approximately around XXXX XXXX, the scammer contacted me and created a sense of urgency and fear. I was told that immediate action was required, and I felt threatened and under pressure to comply. Around XXXX XXXX to XXXX XXXX, the scammer instructed me to go to XXXX XXXX to send money. I remained on the phone with the individual during this time. They guided me step-by-step through the process and did not allow me time to think or verify the situation. At approximately XXXX XXXX XXXX, I completed the transaction for {$4800.00} through XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ). The scammer remained on the phone with me during the transaction to ensure it was completed. Shortly after, at approximately XXXX XXXX XXXX, the funds were picked up in the XXXX XXXX.…
I initiated an international money transfer through Western Union from the United States to XXXX in the amount of {$50.00} plus fees. The transfer was initially made available for cash pickup, confirming that Western Union had received the funds. The recipient later requested that the funds be deposited into a bank account instead, and I approved this change. Western Union accepted and processed the change request. The transfer was expected to be deposited on XX/XX/year>. As of XX/XX/year>, the funds have not been delivered and are currently unaccounted for. Western Union has since stated to both myself and the recipient that they never received the funds. This is inconsistent with the fact that the funds were already made available for pickup, and the payment was successfully withdrawn from my bank account. I have contacted Western Union multiple times requesting the status of the transfer, the location of the funds, and an expected delivery timeline.…
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a money order for {$790.00} from a tenant. It was deposited into my bank and cleared on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received notification from my bank ( XXXX XXXX Bank ) that the funds were deducted from my account with an explanation of " XXXX '' - Refer to Maker. I contacted Western Union and they sent me a copy of the exact check payable to my company with my endorsements and said the money was paid to my bank, XXXX closed! After multiple phone calls and multiple escalated claims with Western Union, each time, I received the same information. Finally XXXX person told me the funds were probably " in limbo '' -- my bank doesn't have them because they were denied to them, yet Western Union paid them out, so they don't have them either. My bank contacted the Federal Reserve Bank and traced the funds.…
b'On XXXX XXXX XXXX I sent XXXX via Western Union, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in the XXXX XXXX, along with several people named XXXX XXXX. They impersonated a XXXX XXXX Bank representative, had all my personal information, and threatened to kill me and my family, coercing me over the phone to ensure the transaction went through. Once I realized it was a scam, I immediately contacted my bank and contacted the police. I then called Western Union and was informed that the funds had already been picked up and that the only way to proceed was to obtain a police report to open a formal case for a possible refund. I have now filed a police report and have extensive supporting evidence including the Western Union receipt, XXXX, call logs, text messages, and screenshots of the communications and threats.…
XXXX XXXX/Western Union XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) Transaction number XXXX dated XX/XX/year> never paid out to intended recipient. Sender paid {$1700.00} USD in cash for a transfer amount of {$30000.00} XXXX Contacted Western Union on XX/XX/year> and opened case # XXXX after recipient made multiple attempts to receive money. Western Union advised it would take 20 days to research and provide a resolution. It's now over 30 days and Western UnionXXXX XXXX customer service indicate the department researching this can not be contacted directly so all we can do it wait. Multiple escalations to supervisors and the fraud department have not yielded any action or resolution. They are unable to advise on who is researching this and why the delay. There is no one at XXXX XXXX/Western Union that can help, unacceptable.
XX/XX/year> I sent the money amounting {$800.00}. But the Wester Union from XXXX said that Paid in Error when the receiver is trying to collect the money. XX/XX/year> the case was made and its under investigation. They promised to have answer after 20 days but until now its still under investigation. This money is so important that will be used for college tuition fees.
On XX/XX/year>, I sent a Western Union money transfer to XXXX totaling {$2000.00} ( including fees ). The recipient never received the funds. When I contacted Western Union customer service, I was informed that the transaction had been paid in error and that the receiving location would reimburse the recipient. However, the receiving location never paid the recipient and the issue remained unresolved. Western Union representatives later told me the matter would be resolved within 20 days, but more than 40 days have now passed and the funds have still not been returned to me or delivered to the recipient. During this time, I have contacted Western Union customer service multiple times. Each time I have had to wait XXXX minutes on hold, and the representatives have been unable to provide any clear update or resolution. Requests to speak with a supervisor have resulted in being placed on hold without assistance.…
On XX/XX/year>, I sent an international money transfer through Western Union for approximately {$1200.00}. On XX/XX/year>, I contacted customer support to request cancellation of the transfer because the transaction status still showed in progress and the funds had not been deposited or picked up. The agent registered the cancellation request and provided a case number, confirming that the money would be refunded. Based on that information and the assurance provided by the customer service representative, I reasonably relied on their confirmation that the transfer had been cancelled and that the funds would be refunded. As a result, I sent the money to the recipient through another method so they could receive the funds on time. However, on XX/XX/year>, I was informed that the cancellation did not proceed because the transfer had already been deposited. As a result, the transfer was neither cancelled nor refunded as previously indicated by the companys support representative.…
am filing a complaint against Western Union regarding the improper denial of a money order refund that appears to have resulted from a malfunction in Western Unions online refund request system. On XX/XX/year>, I submitted an online refund request for a Western Union money order ( number ending in XXXX ). Before allowing me to proceed with the refund request, Western Unions website required me to verify the status of the money order. The system confirmed that the money order had not been cashed and had not been refunded, which is the only reason I was allowed to proceed with the refund request. During the submission process, the website froze at the final stage of the form, and I did not receive a confirmation number or confirmation email. Because the system appeared to fail before completing the submission, I restarted the process and submitted the request again. The second submission was accepted and I received confirmation reference number XXXX.…
Have been trying to use the service when traveling to have money in other countries but they say that I am not allow to used there services. Please see the email and you will see that I had this service and then I completed there questionnaire but still told no I can not use the service. Help me to understand why I can not.
On XX/XX/year>, I sent {$1800.00} via Western Union ( MTCN : XXXX ) to my niece, XXXX XXXX XXXX, for collection at a XXXX XXXX branch in XXXX, XXXX [ XXXX, XXXX mile XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, phone : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ]. The funds have not been received by the intended recipient. However, your system currently shows the transaction status as " picked up. '' The facts are as follows : My niece appeared at the XXXX XXXX branch to collect the transfer. A bank teller had her sign documents in XXXX places. She was sent to a second teller who refused to release the funds due to an alleged missing middle name. No money was ever placed in my niece 's hands. Western Union 's system nonetheless reflects the transaction as fully disbursed. This sequence of events strongly suggests that XXXX or more XXXX Bank employees acting as WUs authorized agents have fraudulently marked this transaction as complete while misappropriating the funds.…
On XX/XX/year>XXXX I sent a money transfer through Western Union. The transfer has never been paid to the receiver and the funds have not been returned to me. I contacted Western Union multiple times to request assistance and an investigation. Initially I was told to wait 20 days for the investigation to be completed. After that period, I was told to wait an additional 24 hours. Later they asked me to wait another 9 days, and finally another 48 hours. Despite complying with all the waiting periods requested by Western Union, as of today the company has not provided any resolution, payment to the receiver, or refund of the money. More than a month has passed since the transfer was sent, and the funds remain unavailable. I am requesting immediate resolution : either the transfer must be paid to the receiver or the full amount refunded to me.
On XX/XX/year>, I purchased {$1800.00} in Western Union money orders to pay rent for my apartment located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, California. The money orders were fully completed and made payable to XXXX XXXX. I personally handed the money orders to the property management office as my rent payment. The individuals who accepted the money orders were XXXX XXXX XXXX ( property manager ) and XXXX XXXX ( leasing agent ). Later, my rent ledger still showed that the payment had not been received. When I contacted XXXX XXXX and their corporate office, XXXX XXXX, they stated that they never received the money orders and advised that I would need to work directly with Western Union to obtain a refund. When I initially checked the status of the money orders with XXXX XXXX, the system showed that a refund request was in progress and the money orders were not showing as deposited into any bank account at that time.…
I received this text message, twice, with different numbers : > " Your Western Union verification code is ______. It will expire in 5 minutes. If this wasn't you, please contact Customer Care. '' I have never set up an account with WU or even used it, but it's still modestly concerning that someone might be trying to set up an account with my number, and worth checking that they haven't succeeded. So I searched for that online. ( Up to this point it seems like best practice and I do not have complaints. ) However, the official site for this, and the top result on XXXX, is XXXX XXXX XXXX and this provides : - Two phone numbers, XXXX and XXXX, which go to the same phone tree, which has only three options, none of them applicable. - A physical location locator - An online chat, with a very narrow AI None of these options is capable of addressing the concern of someone who has received a verification code they do not expect and wants to confirm they are in the clear.…
On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent {$4100.00} to myself through Western Union. When I attempted to pick up the funds in the United States, the agent location refused to release the money. I was told I needed a Social Security Number ( SSN ). At that time, I did not yet have one. I later obtained a valid SSN and returned with proper identification, but Western Union/its agent locations continued to refuse to release the funds. Since XX/XX/XXXX, I have contacted Western Union customer service multiple times. I have received inconsistent and unclear instructions, and I have been repeatedly redirected without any written explanation of what specific requirement is still unmet or how to resolve it. After months of delays, Western Union stated that a refund was processed on XX/XX/XXXX ( they provided a reference number in their email ). However, no refund was received. I checked my bank account for the XXXX business days after XX/XX/XXXX and contacted my bank multiple times.…
I purchased two XXXX XXXX money orders for {$1000.00} each on XX/XX/XXXX. I never cashed them and have the originals in my possession. I filed a refund request ( with fees paid ) on XX/XX/XXXX. Western Union placed a stop payment on the money orders in XX/XX/XXXX from what they told me when I called them but the email I received has a different date then XXXX after XXXX attempted calls I still was never issued a refund. Western Union now claims the money orders have a {$0.00} balance and were escheated due to age. However, the printed terms state service charges begin after XXXX months at {$1.00} per month and may not exceed {$120.00} per money order. The money orders could not legally be reduced to {$0.00} by fees, and I never received any refund.…
On XX/XX/year>, my wife and I were contacted, by phone,. staff by 2 individuals posing as XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Fraud Investigation Dept staff. They stated that someone was attempting to open a new bank account in my wife 's name. As we stated she was not doing it, one of the 2 callers, who identified himself as a fraud investigator, lured us into helping them get hold of a group of bank fraudsters, which they were after for several years. And that, by helping us capture those criminals, his bank and others would give us a substantial compensation. According to this man, the strategy was that they would deposit money in several of our accounts for us to go to several Western Union ( WU ) offices and make transfers to several members of the fraudsters group and, when those individuals made presence to collect the money at WU, the police would be called to trap them.…
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