Were you a victim of Western Union Scams?

There has been so many different scams involving Western Union as the conduit for payment.

Here’s one example from several years ago, involving a family member and the sale of their truck.

The truck was advertised in the Trading post and one day later it was sold.
But…
The buyer was on an oil rig.
Although payment for the truck itself was ok, he was having difficulty in transferring money for the truck to be shipped from N.S.W. to W.A., without which the sale could not go through.
Would it be possible for the shipping cost to be added on to the total truck sale price, and to send the shipping cost directly to the shipper via Paypal?
Of course it will be handled by Western Union, so it’s all above board.

Alarm bells were rung and the sale did not go through.

Below is the email from Paypal, involving the payment through Western Union.

You may be Eligible for a Refund

Not everyone has escaped these scams
Western Union has admitted to aiding and abetting wire fraud and has paid a US$586 million to the US Department of Justice. This money is being used to provide refunds worldwide to eligible victims.

Take Action Now
The ACCC is encouraging all Australians who lost money to Western Union scams (including dating and romance scammers) between 2004 and 2017 to take action by 31st May. You may be eligible for a refund.
Further information can be found on the ACCC website :Victims scammed via Western Union.

If you would like any information or advice regarding scams in email or through the internet, please contact us.