FTC sues Walmart for scammers’ use of money transfer unit

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission says it has sued Walmart for allowing its money transfer services to be used by scam artists who the agency says fleeced hundreds of millions of dollars from consumers. In its lawsuit, the FTC alleges that for years, Walmart failed to properly secure the money transfer services offered at its stores. The agency says Walmart didn’t properly train its employees, failed to alert customers, and used procedures that allowed fraudsters to cash out at its stores. The FTC is asking the court to order Walmart to return money to consumers and impose civil penalties on the company. Walmart called the lawsuit factually flawed and legally baseless.