The Federal Trade Commission said on October 15, 2026, that it is sending more than $9.8 million to 65,022 U.S. consumers affected by Walmart's alleged failure to prevent fraud through its money-transfer services.
The checks follow a June 2025 settlement of the agency's case against the retailer. The FTC had accused Walmart of inadequate fraud-prevention procedures, employee training and warnings to customers sending money. Those were the agency's allegations, rather than findings of liability stated in the refund announcement.
The underlying lawsuit, filed in June 2022, concerned transfers between 2013 and 2018. During that period, Walmart acted as an agent for MoneyGram, Western Union and Ria, according to the commission's settlement notice. The agency put consumer losses from scams involving the services in the hundreds of millions.
Walmart agreed to a $10 million settlement. The latest announcement concerns the distribution of more than $9.8 million in refunds, rather than a new penalty of that amount.
The settlement also requires measures to identify and prevent transfers induced by fraud. It bars Walmart from sending or paying transfers it knows are fraudulent or deliberately avoids recognizing as fraudulent.
In its June 2025 notice, the FTC said a district court's July 2024 dismissal of its telemarketing-rule claim had created a significant obstacle to obtaining monetary relief. The settlement resolved the case.
Recipients should follow the deadline printed on their check and cash it within 90 days. Questions about payments can be directed to refund administrator Rust Consulting at 1-833-472-1990. The commission says it does not charge recipients or require account information to issue a refund.