Walmart Settles With The U.S. Government Over Walmart Gift Card Scams
Walmart Agrees To Refund To Victims Of Walmart Gift Card Scams
DEADLINE: JULY 14, 2023
Walmart Gift Card Remission Program
Beginning in the fall of 2015, Walmart, Inc. (“Walmart”) noticed a pattern of scams where unknown fraudsters directed victims to purchase Walmart gift cards with values typically ranging between $500 and $1,000. Between April 2016 and July 2017, Walmart froze the balances of the gift cards that were connected to this suspected fraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim. before the balances could be transferred to the fraudsters. Based on this conduct, and pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 981, the United States Attorney’s Office filed a Verified Complaint for Forfeiture against $3,958,060.84 in United States currency (22-USS-000172), representing the gift card balances frozen by Walmart.
You may be eligible for a Refund if you purchased Walmart gift cards to send money to a scammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer.
If you believe you were a victim of the fraud described above and you purchased a Walmart gift card between April 1, 2016 and July 31, 2017, you may be eligible for remission.
Eligibility
The Department of Justice hired Gilardi and Co. LLC (the same law firm responsible for the Western Union and MoneyGram remission programs) to serve as the claims administrator for the Walmart Gift Card remission process. Please check www.walmartgiftcardremission.com or call 1-888-846-6824 for updates on the process and details on victim eligibility.
In order to be considered for a remission payment, you will be required to submit a Remission Form along with any available supporting documentation. Your petition must be postmarked on or before July 14, 2023, and mailed to:
Walmart Gift Card Remission Administrator
P.O. Box 6175
Novato, CA 94948-6175
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is this case about?Beginning in the fall of 2015, Walmart, Inc. (“Walmart”) noticed a pattern of scams where unknown fraudsters directed victims to purchase Walmart gift cards with values typically ranging between $500 and $1,000. Between April 2016 and July 2017, Walmart froze the balances of the gift cards that were connected to this suspected fraud before the balances could be transferred to the fraudsters. Based on this conduct, and pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 981, the United States Attorney’s Office filed a Verified Complaint for Forfeiture against $3,958,060.84 in United States currency (22-USS-000172), representing the gift card balances frozen by Walmart.
- Who is eligible to file a Petition for Remission, and how?You may be eligible for a remission payment if, at the direction of an and unknown fraudsterFraudster A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer., you purchased and sent a Walmart Gift Card between April 1, 2016, and July 31, 2017, and were the victim of fraud. To apply, you must file a Petition of Remission by July 14, 2023. The acceptance of Petitions for Remission postmarked after this date will be subject to the Justice Department’s discretion.
- If I qualify, how much money will I get back?Your payment will be based only on the amount loaded onto the Walmart Gift Card, less any recoveries you have received from a bank or other source. This payment amount will likely be less than the amount you lost. You cannot recover collateral expenses, such as money transfer fees, incidental losses, or transfers sent through other companies.
- What is remission?The money seized in relation to this action will be made available to victims through a process called “remission.” The remission process is governed by the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 28, Part 9. If you filed a petition for remission detailing the loss amount before the filing deadline, DOJ’s Money LaunderingMoney laundering Money laundering is the illegal process of concealing the origins of money obtained illegally by passing it through a complex sequence of banking transfers or commercial transactions. Money laundering can be done through various mediums, leveraging a variety of payment vehicles, people and institutions. and Asset Recovery Section will compare the requests to Walmart records, where available, and decide whether to grant the petition. After the DOJ has reviewed all petitions, approved petitioners will get payment for some or all of their approved loss.
- How do I file a Petition for Remission?You may file a Petition for Remission online at the case website www.walmartgiftcardremission.com or you may file Petition for Remission you received via mail. You may mail the Petition to:
Walmart Gift Card Remission Claims Administrator
P.O. Box 6175
Novato, CA 94948-6175Please enter all requested information that applies to your Petition for Remission. Failure to do so could result in your Petition being deemed deficient and potentially delay payment.
- Which Walmart Gift Cards qualify?All Walmart Gift Cards that were purchased and seized within the United States between April 1, 2016, and July 31, 2017, may be eligible for remission.
- Do I have to be a United States citizen to file a petition?No. You are not required to be a United States citizen to file a petition.
- When will I get a payment?Currently, the Petition filing process is open. Payments will not be issued until after the filing period has ended and all submitted Petitions have been reviewed for eligibility.
- What will happen if I do nothing?If you do not submit a Petition for Remission, you will not get a payment.
- Why am I required to provide my Social Security Number?If your petition is approved, it must be reviewed by the Treasury Offset Program to verify that you do not owe any money to the federal government or certain state debts. If you owe money, your payment will be used to pay your debt. If your payment is more than the amount you owe, you will get the remainder. Your Social Security Number will not be shared or used for any other purpose.Only the amount of the gift card will be included in approved remission amounts. Collateral expenses such as fees, incidental losses, or transfers sent through other businesses are not recoverable through the remission process. More information is available HERE.
- What if I do not have the Walmart Gift Card Numbers?The Gift Card Number is the number you get from Walmart when you purchased your gift card. You may still submit a petition without this number. Please provide any other details about the transaction that may help us validate the transfer.
- Can I file a petition on behalf of an estate?Yes. If the person who purchased the gift card is deceased, please submit the petition in the name of the deceased and include verification of the death (Death Certificate) and documents showing that you represent the estate.
- How can I print a blank petition form?A blank form is available HERE.
- Do I need an attorney to file a petition?No, you do not need an attorney to file a petition.
- Is there a fee for filing a petition?The Department of Justice does not charge fees for you to participate in the remission process.
- Where can I get more information?For the latest information about the remission process:• Check the Home Page for updates.
• Email info@walmartgiftcardremission.com
• Or call (888) 846-6824 - What is the issuing bank for the approved petitioners’ remission checks?Approved petitioners will receive checks issued by Huntington Bank.
PLEASE NOTE:
This information is provided by SCARS as a convenience only. We cannot guarantee that this information has not changed or been updated. Please check with the Remission Administrator for the latest information and updates.
This article is by:
SCARS™ – Society of Citizens Against Relationship ScamsSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims.
Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. Inc.
A government-registeredgovernment-registered It means to be registered with departments or agencies of the government. In the case of SCARS, we are registered with state and federal governments in the United States, Europe & Asia. SCARS is registered as a crime victims' assistance nonprofit with agencies of the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. And is incorporated in the State of Florida as a nonprofit corporation. scams & financial fraud crime victims assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization headquartered in Miami Florida USA & Monterrey NL Mexico, with partners in more than 60 countries worldwide
If you are a Victim sign up for our FREE SCARS Support GroupsSupport Groups In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic, such as romance scams. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy. They can be supervised or not. SCARS support groups are moderated by the SCARS Team and or volunteers. at support.AgainstScams.org
To learn more about SCARS, or to Join, Volunteer, or Donate visit: AgainstScams.org
To see Scammer Photos visit www.ScammerPhotos.com
Contact Us: Contact@AgainstScams.org
What do you think about this?
Please share your thoughts in a comment below!
-/ 30 /-
Do You Need Support?
Get It Now!
SCARS provides the leading Support & Recovery program for relationship scamRelationship Scam A Relationship Scam is a one-to-one criminal act that involves a trust relationship and uses deception & manipulation to get a victim to give to the criminal something of value, such as money! Click here to learn more: What Is A Relationship Scam? victims – completely FREE!
Our managed peer supportPeer support Peer support occurs when people provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social or practical help to each other. It commonly refers to an initiative consisting of trained supporters and can take a number of forms such as peer mentoring, reflective listening (reflecting content and/or feelings), or in a support group. Peer support is also used to refer to initiatives where colleagues, members of self-help organizations and others meet, in person or online, to give each other connection and support on a reciprocal basis. Peer support is distinct from other forms of social support in that the source of support is a peer, a person who is similar in fundamental ways to the recipient of the support; their relationship is one of equality. A peer is in a position to offer support by virtue of relevant experience: he or she has "been there, done that" and can relate to others who are now in a similar situation. Trained peer support workers such as SCARS Volunteers receive special training and may be required to obtain Continuing Education Units, similar to clinical staff. Some other trained peer support workers may also be law-enforcement personnel and firefighters as well as emergency medical responders. groups allow victims to talk to other survivorsSurvivor A Scam Survivor is a victim who has been able to fully accept the reality of their situation. That they were the victim of a crime and are not to blame. They are working on their emotional recovery and reduction of any trauma either on their own, through a qualified support organization, or through counseling or therapy. And has done their duty and reported the crime to their local police, national police, and on Anyscam.com and recover in the most experienced environment possible, for as long as they need. Recovery takes as long as it takes – we put no limits on our support!
SCARS is the most trusted support & education provider in the world. Our team is certified in trauma-informedTrauma-Informed Trauma-informed care shifts the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” A trauma-informed approach to care acknowledges that health care needs to have a complete picture of a patient’s life situation — past and present — in order to provide effective care services with a healing orientation. Adopting trauma-informed practices can potentially improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, and health outcomes. care, grief counselingCounseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. A mental health counselor (MHC), or counselor, is a person who works with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Such persons may help individuals deal with issues associated with addiction and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; and aging. They may also work with "Social Workers", "Psychiatrists", and "Psychologists". SCARS does not provide mental health counseling., and so much more!
To apply to join our groups visit support.AgainstScams.org
We also offer separate support groups for family & friends too.
Become a
SCARS STAR™ Member
SCARS offers memberships in our STAR program, which includes many benefits for a very low annual membership fee!
SCARS STAR Membership benefits include:
- FREE Counseling or Therapy Benefit from our partner BetterHelp.com
- Exclusive members-only content & publications
- Discounts on SCARS Self-Help Books Save
- And more!
To learn more about the SCARS STAR Membership visit membership.AgainstScams.org
To become a SCARS STAR Member right now visit join.AgainstScams.org
To Learn More Also Look At Our Article Catalogs
SCARS Printed Books For Every Scam SurvivorSurvivor A Scam Survivor is a victim who has been able to fully accept the reality of their situation. That they were the victim of a crime and are not to blame. They are working on their emotional recovery and reduction of any trauma either on their own, through a qualified support organization, or through counseling or therapy. And has done their duty and reported the crime to their local police, national police, and on Anyscam.com From SCARS Publishing
Visit shop.AgainstScams.org
Each is based on our SCARS Team’s 32 plus years of experience.
SCARS Website Visitors get an Extra 10% Discount
Use Discount Code “romanacescamsnow” at Checkout
SCARS GREEN BOOK
Self-Help Self-Paced Recovery Program Guide
LEARN HOW TO RECOVER ON YOUR OWN
This program is designed to help scam victims struggling to recover on their own and for those who want to understand the overall process. You can be using other resources, such as traumaTrauma Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety or other emotional shocks, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized. Trauma requires treatment, either through counseling or therapy or through trauma-oriented support programs, such as those offered by SCARS. counseling or therapy, qualified support groups, or completely independent – on your own!
The SCARS Steps program is a complete program and is provided for the purpose of helping scam victims to overcome this experience. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues and challenges that a victim may have and help guide them through their recovery. But each person is different and it is important to understand your own reasons for being vulnerable to being scammed.
After the trauma of being scammed, you need to take steps to recover and move on. This may be an alternative to counseling in the short term, but we still encourage you to seek out professional help & support. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues, challenges, defects, or problems that a victim may have in a generalized way.
The SCARS GREEN BOOK will help you recover from your scam offline and it will always be there when you need it!
SCARS SLATE BOOK – Let Us Explain What Happened!
A Guide For Families & Friends Of Scam Victims
HOW TO HELP ROMANCE SCAM VICTIMS FOR FAMILIES & FRIENDS OF SCAM VICTIMS
This SCARS Publishing book represents a complete guide to help the families and friends understand how these scams work and how to help the victim.
The SCARS Slate Book should be purchased by family and friends to better understand what happened to the victim and the traumatic impact on them. But it can also be shared by the victim so that they do not have to explain to family and friends about the scam. This publication is to help others to help Scam Victims to make it through this traumatic experience and recover.
Each person is different and it is important to understand how relationship scamsRelationship Scam A Relationship Scam is a one-to-one criminal act that involves a trust relationship and uses deception & manipulation to get a victim to give to the criminal something of value, such as money! Click here to learn more: What Is A Relationship Scam? work and why people are vulnerable; to being scammed, how they were lured in, then groomed and manipulated. This understanding is essential in helping them through the process of ending the scam and then on to recovery. The SCARS Slate Book will provide the information necessary to help support a victim through this process.
SCARS RED BOOK
Your Personal Scam Evidence & Crime Record Organizer
ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION TO MAKE THE REPORTING PROCESS SIMPLE!
Helps you get and stay organized. This publication is to help Scam Victims organize their crime information. Complete this information before reporting to the police then bring this book with you
Before or after reporting to the police the RED BOOK gives you a dedicated tool to record all the essential facts of this crime. The Victim, the Scammers, the Money, and your Police interactions. Everything that really matters can be easily recorded for your immediate use and for the future!
As we have seen, money recovery/repayment programs can become available years after the scam ends and you need to keep all the details of this crime in case it is needed. We have also seen scammers being extradited to the U.S. and other countries, this will help in the event you testify or give statements, Additionally, this helps you have your information ready to qualify for victims’ benefits, compensation, or aid.
The Official SCARS RED BOOK is your way of recording all the important facts of this crime so that you do not lose essential information, Complete the RED BOOK then put it away with the confidence that you will have it if or when it is needed.
100% of all profit goes to help SCARS help more scam victims worldwide.
Your generous purchase allows us to maintain our scam avoidance, support, and recovery services. Please help SCARS and stand proud.
PLEASE SHARE OUR ARTICLES WITH YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY
HELP OTHERS STAY SAFE ONLINE – YOUR KNOWLEDGE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
THE NEXT VICTIM MIGHT BE YOUR OWN FAMILY MEMBER OR BEST FRIEND!
Leave A Comment