CHRISTOPHER C. CONNER, District Judge.
Plaintiff, the Federal Trade Commission ("Commission" or "FTC"), filed its Complaint for Permanent Injunctive and Other Equitable Relief ("Complaint"), pursuant to Section 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act ("FTC Act"), 15 U.S.C. § 53(b), and the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act ("Telemarketing Act"), 15 U.S.C. §§ 6101-6108. The Commission and Defendant The Western Union Company ("Western Union") stipulate to the entry of this Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction and Final Judgment ("Order") to resolve all matters in dispute in this action between them.
THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED as follows:
1. This Court has jurisdiction over this matter.
2. The Complaint charges Defendant with engaging in deceptive and unfair acts or practices in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45, the Telemarketing Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 6101-6108, and the Telemarketing Sales Rule ("TSR"), 16 C.F.R. Part 310, in the course of providing money transfer services through its worldwide money transfer network.
3. Defendant neither admits nor denies any of the allegations in the Complaint, except as specifically stated in this Order. Only for purposes of this action, Defendant admits the facts necessary to establish jurisdiction.
4. Defendant waives any claim that it may have under the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412, concerning the prosecution of this action through the date of this Order, and agrees to bear its own costs and attorney fees.
5. Defendant and the Commission waive all rights to appeal or otherwise challenge or contest the validity of this Order.
For purposes of this Order, the following definitions apply:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
2. Fifteen (15) or more fraud complaints for such agent location, received by Defendant from any source, during the previous sixty (60) day period, based on a review of complaints on a monthly basis.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant, Defendant's officers, agents, and employees, and all other persons in active concert or participation with any of them, who receive actual notice of this Order, whether acting directly or indirectly, in connection with promoting, offering for sale, or providing money transfer services, are permanently restrained and enjoined from:
A. Transmitting a money transfer that Defendant knows or reasonably should know is a fraud-induced money transfer, or paying out a money transfer to any person that Defendant knows or reasonably should know is using its system to obtain funds from a consumer, directly or indirectly, as a result of fraud;
B. Providing substantial assistance or support to any seller or telemarketer that Defendant knows or reasonably should know is accepting from a U.S. consumer, directly or indirectly, a money transfer as payment for goods or services offered or sold through telemarketing;
C. Failing to do any of the following in connection with money transfers initiated by consumers:
D. Failing to reimburse the principal amount of a consumer's money transfer and any associated transfer fees whenever a consumer or his or her authorized representative reasonably claims that the transfer was fraudulently induced and:
E. Failing to promptly provide information to a consumer, or his or her authorized representative, who reports being a victim of fraud to Defendant, about the name of the recipient of the consumer's money transfer and the location where it was paid out, when such information is reasonably requested; and
F. Failing to establish and implement, and thereafter maintain, a comprehensive anti-fraud program that is reasonably designed to protect consumers by detecting and preventing fraud-induced money transfers worldwide and to avoid installing and doing business with Western Union agents who appear to be involved or complicit in processing fraud-induced money transfers or fail to comply with Defendant's policies and procedures to detect and prevent fraud (hereinafter referred to as "Defendant's Anti-Fraud Program"). Such program, the content and implementation of which must be fully documented in writing, and provided to the FTC, shall contain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to Defendant's size and complexity and the nature and scope of Defendant's activities, shall be consistent with this Order's requirements, and shall include at least the following requirements:
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant, Defendant's officers, agents, and employees, and all other persons in active concert or participation with any of them, who receive actual notice of this Order, whether acting directly or indirectly, in connection with promoting, offering for sale, or providing money transfer services, are hereby restrained and enjoined from:
A. Failing to conduct thorough due diligence on all persons applying to become, or renewing their contracts as, Western Union agents, including any sub-representative or subagent, to avoid installing Western Union agents worldwide who may become elevated fraud risk agent locations, including, but not limited to, by:
B. Failing to reject applications where Defendant becomes aware or reasonably should have become aware based upon its due diligence that the applicant, or any of the applicant's sub-representatives or subagents, presents a material risk of becoming an elevated fraud risk;
C. Failing to ensure that the written agreements entered into with all new Western Union agents require them to comply with Section I.C.2 of this Order;
D. Failing to ensure that all new Western Union agents have effective policies and procedures in place at each of the agent's locations to detect and prevent fraud-induced money transfers and other acts or practices that violate Section I of this Order;
E. Failing to take reasonable steps to confirm that Western Union agents whose contracts are up for renewal are complying with the terms of their agreements with Defendant, including, but not limited to, by having effective policies and procedures in place to detect and prevent fraud-induced money transfers; and
F. Failing to require all new Western Union agents, and existing Western Union agents, to: (i) disclose and update the identities of any sub-representative or subagent; and (ii) maintain records on the identities of any front line associates at their sub-representatives' or subagents' locations.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant, Defendant's officers, agents, and employees, and all other persons in active concert or participation with any of them, who receive actual notice of this Order, whether acting directly or indirectly, in connection with promoting, offering for sale, or providing money transfer services, are hereby restrained and enjoined from:
A. Failing to provide appropriate and adequate ongoing education and training on consumer fraud for all Western Union agents, and other appropriate Western Union personnel, including, but not limited to, education and training on detecting, investigating, preventing, reporting, and otherwise handling suspicious transactions and fraud-induced money transfers, and ensuring that all Western Union agents and front line associates are notified of their obligations to comply with Defendant's policies and procedures and to implement and maintain policies and procedures to detect and prevent fraud-induced money transfers or other acts or practices that violate Section I of this Order;
B. Failing to take all reasonable steps necessary to monitor and investigate Western Union agent location activity to detect and prevent fraud-induced money transfers, including, but not limited to:
C. Failing to take the following actions to prevent further fraud-induced money transfers, including, but not limited to, by:
D. Failing to establish adequate controls to ensure that, prior to paying out money transfers, Western Union agent locations are recording all required information about the recipients of money transfers, including, but not limited to, the recipients' names, addresses, telephone numbers, and identifications, and are taking reasonable steps to verify the identification presented by the recipients or, for money transfers that are directed to bank accounts, the identities of the account holders.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant, Defendant's officers, agents, and employees, and all other persons in active concert or participation with any of them, who receive actual notice of this Order, whether acting directly or indirectly, in connection with promoting, offering for sale, or providing money transfer services, shall require and ensure that all elevated fraud risk agent locations that are still operating do the following for one (1) year from the date that Defendant identifies the agent as an elevated fraud risk agent location under the terms of this Order:
A. For money transfers that are not transferred directly into a recipient's bank account, photocopy or scan the identification documents or biometric information presented by the recipient and retain the photocopies or images, along with the receive forms, for a period of five (5) years; and
B. Demonstrate during compliance reviews or mystery shops, which Defendant shall conduct on at least a quarterly basis, that the agent location is complying with the requirements in this Section;
Provided, however, that if Defendant reasonably believes that complying with Subsection A of this Section for money transfers received by an elevated fraud agent location in a particular foreign jurisdiction would violate that jurisdiction's laws, Defendant may instead, upon notice to Commission staff, block all money transfers from the United States to that elevated fraud risk agent location or, with the agreement of Commission staff, take other appropriate action at that location to protect consumers from fraud.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, Defendant, Defendant's officers, agents, and employees, and all other persons in active concert or participation with any of them, who receive actual notice of this Order, whether acting directly or indirectly, shall, in addition to, or as a modification of, any other policy or practice that the Defendant may have, including Defendant's ongoing submission of information to the FTC for inclusion in the Consumer Sentinel Network ("Consumer Sentinel"):
A. Provide notice to the consumer, or his or her authorized representative, at the time the Defendant is contacted with a complaint about alleged fraudulent activity associated with a money transfer, that (i) Defendant's practice is to share information regarding the consumer's money transfer and complaint with a database used by law enforcement authorities in the United States and other countries; and (ii) if the consumer does not want his or her name, address, and identification shared with law enforcement, Defendant will honor that request unless applicable law permits or requires Defendant to provide that information; and
B. Regularly, but no more than every thirty (30) days, submit electronically to the FTC, or its designated agent, for inclusion in Consumer Sentinel, all relevant information Defendant possesses regarding complaints received from consumers, their authorized representatives, or any other source, anywhere worldwide, about alleged fraud-induced money transfers and regarding the underlying transfer itself, including, but not limited to, the information set forth in Section III.B.1.a through III.B.1.1. Provided, however, if Defendant receives a request from a consumer or the consumer's authorized representative, which is documented by Defendant, stating that the consumer does not want the information shared with the database, or if Defendant received the complaint from a source other than the consumer or the consumer's authorized representative, Defendant shall submit to the FTC an anonymized complaint with the consumer's name, address, and telephone number redacted. Provided, further, that Defendant shall cooperate with the FTC in order to facilitate compliance with this Section.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED THAT an Independent Compliance Auditor ("ICA") shall be appointed to further ensure compliance with Sections I-V of this Order, as set forth below:
A. Commission staff and Defendant shall select the ICA. The ICA shall be an independent third party, not an employee of the Commission or of Defendant. No later than thirty (30) days after entry of this Order, Defendant shall propose to a representative of the Commission three qualified, third-party candidates to serve as the ICA for Defendant as set forth in this Section. In the event that Commission staff is unable to select at least one acceptable ICA from the three candidates proposed by Defendant, Defendant shall propose another candidate within fourteen (14) days after receiving notice of the rejection. This process shall continue until an ICA is chosen. If within ninety (90) days after entry of this Order, the parties are unable to agree on a candidate who is willing and able to perform the ICA's duties under this Order, they shall submit the matter to the Court for determination.
B. The ICA shall review, assess, and evaluate Defendant's compliance with Sections I-V of this Order;
C. The ICA is authorized to choose, engage, and employ attorneys, investigators, accountants, appraisers, and other independent contractors and technical specialists, as the ICA deems advisable or necessary in the performance of the ICA's duties and responsibilities under the authority granted by this Order;
D. The ICA shall have immediate, unfettered access to all information, documents, personnel, and premises in the possession, custody, or control of Defendant or any Western Union agent that the ICA deems necessary to carry out the ICA's duties pursuant to this Order; provided that, the ICA shall make reasonable efforts to avoid imposing upon Defendant undue costs and burdens; and provided that, if there is a dispute about the ICA's access to Defendant's or any Western Union agents' information, documents, personnel, and premises, after attempting to resolve the dispute without court action and for good cause shown, Defendant or the ICA may file a motion with this Court seeking appropriate relief;
E. Defendant shall fully cooperate with and assist the ICA. The cooperation and assistance shall include, but not be limited to, providing information to the ICA that the ICA deems necessary to be fully informed and discharge the responsibilities of the ICA under this Order, including proprietary information and trade secrets; providing any password required to access any computer, electronic file, or telephone data in any medium; and producing Defendant's financial records. The parties agree that no attorney-client or other professional relationship shall be formed between the ICA and Defendant;
F. The ICA shall prepare a budget and work plan as follows:
G. Within one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of the engagement of the ICA, and annually thereafter until the end of the ICA's term, the ICA shall issue a report to Commission staff setting forth the ICA's assessment of Defendant's compliance with this Order ("Report"). If, at any time, the ICA determines that Defendant is not in substantial compliance with this Order, the ICA shall notify Commission staff and consult with Defendant. Defendant may submit to Commission staff and to the ICA a written response to the ICA's notification;
H. The Report and the contents thereof shall be treated as non-public material pursuant to the Commission's Procedures and Rules of Practice. The FTC may share the Report and its contents with other law enforcement agencies, including, but not limited to, the United States Department of Justice ("DOJ"), as permitted by the Commission's Procedures and Rules of Practice;
I. The ICA's term shall be three (3) years from the date on which the ICA is retained by Defendant. If the ICA resigns or is otherwise unable to fulfill his or her obligations as set out in this Section, the process set forth in Subsection N of this Section shall govern the selection of a new ICA;
J. The ICA and all personnel hired by the ICA, including counsel to the ICA, are entitled to reasonable compensation for the performance of duties pursuant to this Order and for the cost of actual out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them, from Defendant's assets. The ICA shall provide Defendant with an accounting and a request for payment of reasonable compensation every six (6) months after the ICA is appointed, or at intervals deemed appropriate by the ICA;
K. Defendant shall indemnify the ICA and hold the ICA harmless against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses arising out of, or in connection with, the performance of the ICA's duties, including all reasonable fees of counsel and other reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the preparations for, or defense of, any claim, whether or not resulting in any liability, except to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses result from gross negligence, willful or wanton acts, or bad faith by the ICA;
L. In the event the ICA determines that the Defendant has failed to act consistently with the terms of this Section, the ICA shall notify the FTC and Defendant, and, for good cause shown, the ICA or the FTC may apply to the Court for appropriate relief, including for an extension of the ICA's term set forth in Subsection I of this Section;
M. The ICA may, from time to time as may be made necessary by circumstances outside the ICA's control, such as by reason of the ICA's temporary incapacity, family emergency, or natural disaster, appoint a temporary Acting ICA to act in the ICA's stead. The rights, duties, and obligations of the ICA under this Section shall apply equally to any such duly appointed Acting ICA, provided, however, that the period during which the ICA's role is filled by an Acting ICA shall not extend for longer than thirty (30) days;
N. If the ICA is no longer willing or able to continue to serve, or if the Court relieves the ICA of his duties at the request of the FTC or Defendant, Commission staff and Defendant shall mutually agree on a replacement ICA. If the parties are unable to agree on a replacement ICA within sixty (60) days, they shall submit the matter to the Court for determination within ten (10) days thereafter. The overall term of the ICA set forth in Subsection I of this Section shall be extended commensurate with the length of the absence of the ICA; and
O. In the event of the appointment of a replacement ICA, the replacement ICA shall have all the rights, powers, duties, and obligations of the ICA under this Order.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED THAT:
A. Judgment in the amount of five hundred eighty-six million dollars ($586,000,000) is entered in favor of the Commission against Defendant as equitable monetary relief.
B. Defendant shall satisfy the judgment in Subsection A of this Section by complying with the payment requirements set forth in Paragraph 7 of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement filed in United States v. The Western Union Company, 1:17-CR-00011-CCC (M.D. Pa. Jan. 19, 2017) ("DPA").
C. Defendant relinquishes dominion and all legal and equitable right, title, and interest in all assets transferred pursuant to this Order and Paragraphs 7 and 8 of the DPA and may not seek the return of any assets;
D. The facts alleged in the Complaint will be taken as true, without further proof, in any subsequent civil litigation by or on behalf of the Commission, including in a proceeding to enforce its rights to any payment or monetary judgment pursuant to this Order, such as a nondischargeability complaint in any bankruptcy case;
E. The facts alleged in the Complaint establish all elements necessary to sustain an action by the Commission pursuant to Section 523(a)(2)(A) of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(2)(A), and this Order will have collateral estoppel effect for such purposes;
F. Defendant acknowledges that its Employer Identification Number, which Defendant must submit to the Commission, may be used for collecting and reporting on any delinquent amount arising out of this Order, in accordance with 31 U.S.C. § 7701;
G. All money paid pursuant to this Order and Paragraph 7 of the DPA shall be deposited into the DOJ or the Department of the Treasury Assets Forfeiture Funds. The FTC and DOJ intend to make the funds available to compensate the fraud victims described in the FTC Complaint and the DOJ Statement of Facts, as set forth in Paragraph 7 of the DPA. Defendant has no right to challenge any actions taken by DOJ, the FTC, or their representatives, pursuant to this Subsection; and
H. No asset transfer required by this Order should be deemed, or deemed in lieu of, a fine, penalty, forfeiture, or punitive assessment. Defendant's satisfaction of the judgment through a payment pursuant to the DPA is not intended to alter the remedial nature of the judgment.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant obtain acknowledgments of receipt of this Order:
A. Defendant, within seven (7) days of entry of this Order, must submit to the Commission an acknowledgment of receipt of this Order sworn under penalty of perjury;
B. For ten (10) years after entry of this Order, Defendant must deliver by electronic or other means a copy of this Order to: (1) all principals, officers, directors, and LLC managers and members; (2) all employees, agents, and representatives who participate in conduct related to the subject matter of this Order, including, but not limited to, Western Union agents and employees who are involved in any way with consumer fraud complaints or who are involved in the hiring, training or monitoring of Western Union agents; and (3) any business entity resulting from any change in structure as set forth in the Section titled Compliance Reporting. Defendant must send a copy of this Order to current personnel within seven (7) days of entry of this Order. For all others, delivery must occur before they assume their responsibilities; and
C. From each individual or entity to which a Defendant delivered a copy of this Order, that Defendant must obtain, within thirty (30) days, a signed and dated acknowledgment of receipt of this Order. Provided that, in the event that Defendant is unable to secure such acknowledgements from all current Western Union agents, despite notice of this requirement, Defendant shall retain proof of distribution of this Order to all current Western Union agents, such as an electronic mail receipt, a certified mail receipt, or an affidavit of service.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant make timely submissions to the Commission:
A. One (1) year after entry of this Order, Defendant must submit a compliance report, sworn under the penalty of perjury, that:
B. Annually, unless otherwise stated in this Subsection, for a period of ten (10) years after Defendant's submission of the compliance report required by Subsection A of this section, Defendant shall submit a compliance report, sworn under penalty of perjury, that:
C. Defendant must submit to the Commission notice of the filing of any bankruptcy petition, insolvency proceeding, or similar proceeding by or against Defendant within fourteen (14) days of its filing;
D. Any submission to the Commission required by this Order to be sworn under penalty of perjury must be true and accurate and comply with 28 U.S.C. § 1746, such as by concluding: "I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on: _____" and supplying the date, signatory's full name, title (if applicable), and signature; and
E. Unless otherwise directed by a Commission representative in writing, all submissions to the Commission pursuant to this Order must be emailed to DEbrief@ftc.gov or sent by overnight courier (not the U.S. Postal Service) to: Associate Director for Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580. The subject line must begin: FTC v. Western Union.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendant must create certain records for ten (10) years after entry of this Order, and retain each such record for five (5) years. Specifically, Defendant must create and retain the following records:
A. Defendant's current written programs and policies governing the detection and prevention of consumer fraud and the installation and oversight of its agents, including, but not limited to, its Anti-Fraud Program;
B. Defendant's current policies and procedures governing consumer fraud education or training provided to Western Union agents or other appropriate personnel;
C. All Western Union agent applications, records reflecting due diligence conducted by Defendant with respect to such applications, and with respect to agents whose contracts come up for renewal, and written agreements entered into with Western Union agents;
D. Records of all complaints and refund requests, whether received directly or indirectly, such as through a third party, from any source, anywhere in the world, about potentially fraud-induced money transfers, and any response, including, but not limited to, the information listed in Section III.B.1 of this Order;
E. Records reflecting all steps Defendant has taken to monitor the activity of its agents to detect, reduce and prevent consumer fraud, including, but not limited to, records of Defendant's reviews, audits, or investigations of Western Union agents associated with consumer fraud, communications with such agents regarding consumer fraud matters, and any remedial action taken against agents due to fraud;
F. Copies of documents relating to compliance reviews or mystery shops conducted by Defendant of elevated fraud risk agent locations pursuant to Section IV of this Order; and
G. All records necessary to demonstrate full compliance with each provision of this Order, including submissions to the Commission.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, for the purpose of monitoring Defendant's compliance with this Order and any failure to transfer any assets as required by this Order:
A. Within fourteen (14) days of receipt of a written request from a representative of the Commission, Defendant must: submit additional compliance reports or other requested information, which must be sworn under penalty of perjury; appear for depositions; and produce documents for inspection and copying. The Commission is also authorized to obtain discovery, without further leave of court, using any of the procedures prescribed by Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 29, 30 (including telephonic depositions), 31, 33, 34, 36, 45, and 69;
B. For matters concerning this Order, the Commission is authorized to communicate directly with Defendant. Defendant must permit representatives of the Commission to interview any employee or other person affiliated with Defendant who has agreed to such an interview. The person interviewed may have counsel present; and
C. The Commission may use all other lawful means, including posing, through its representatives as consumers, suppliers, or other individuals or entities, to Defendant or any individual or entity affiliated with Defendant, without the necessity of identification or prior notice. Nothing in this Order limits the Commission's lawful use of compulsory process, pursuant to Sections 9 and 20 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 49, 57b-1.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Court retains jurisdiction of this matter for purposes of construction, modification, and enforcement of this Order.