Retailer denies allegations it 'looked the other way and pocketed millions in fees' while consumers were scammed.
Previous law enforcement investigations have found that Walmart money transfers are a common vehicle for criminals to cash out in a range of telemarketing schemes, according to the civil complaint. From 2013 to 2018, more than $197 million in payments that were the subject of fraud complaints were sent or received at Walmart, with more than $1.3 billion in related payments possibly connected to the fraud, said the FTC, citing data from MoneyGram, Western Union and Ria.
"While scammers used its money transfer services to make off with cash, Walmart looked the other way and pocketed millions in fees," Samuel Levine, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement."Consumers have lost hundreds of millions, and the commission is holding Walmart accountable for letting fraudsters fleece its customers.
In June, lawyers representing Walmart also filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking information from the FTC.