Texans scammed by fake Western Union workers may be eligible for refunds

Were you scammed into sending payments during the past few years to people posing as workers for Western Union's wire transfer service?

If so, you might be eligible for a refund through a new settlement program.

About 39,000 Texans may be eligible for the refunds, which come from a $586 million nationwide fund, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

"Scam artists are always looking for new ways to fool people into wiring them money, including schemes involving deceiving people into believing they are speaking with family members, romantic interests, lotteries or contests," Paxton said in a statement. "These fraudsters will be held accountable for their abuse of hardworking Texans."

Apparently some of the "fraudsters" contacted Texans and others across the country pretending to be family members who desperately needed money wired to them. Other times, they falsely promised to provide anything from jobs to prizes to credit services.

"Texans who believe they were a victim of these fraud-related money transfers between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017 are eligible to recover refunds through this settlement and may submit a claim," according to a Paxton statement.

Anyone who believes they might be eligible should go to the website of the Settlement Administrator at www.westernunionremission.com.

All claims must be made by Feb. 12, 2018. The fund will be administered by the Department of Justice's Victim Asset Recovery Program.

Anna Tinsley: 817-390-1670, @annatinsley

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Texans scammed by fake Western Union workers may be eligible for refunds."