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Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies |
Commitments and Contingencies | 6. Commitments and Contingencies Letters of Credit and Bank Guarantees The Company had approximately $450 million in outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees as of December 31, 2021, primarily held in connection with safeguarding consumer funds, lease arrangements, and certain agent agreements. The Company expects to renew many of its letters of credit and bank guarantees prior to expiration, while certain letters of credit will be terminated, released, or transferred as a result of the sale of the Company's Business Solutions business. Litigation and Related Contingencies The Company is subject to certain claims and litigation that could result in losses, including damages, fines, and/or civil penalties, which could be significant, and in some cases, criminal charges. The Company regularly evaluates the status of legal matters to assess whether a loss is probable and reasonably estimable in determining whether an accrual is appropriate. Furthermore, in determining whether disclosure is appropriate, the Company evaluates each legal matter to assess if there is at least a reasonable possibility that a material loss or additional material losses may have been incurred. The Company also evaluates whether an estimate of possible loss or range of loss can be made. Unless otherwise specified below, the Company believes that there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss or additional loss may have been incurred for each of the matters described below. For those matters that the Company believes there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss or additional loss may have been incurred and can reasonably estimate the loss or potential loss, the reasonably possible potential litigation losses in excess of the Company’s recorded liability for probable and estimable losses was approximately $30 million as of December 31, 2021. For the remaining matters, management is unable to provide a meaningful estimate of the possible loss or range of loss because, among other reasons: (i) the proceedings are in preliminary stages; (ii) specific damages have not been sought; (iii) damage claims are unsupported and/or unreasonable; (iv) there is uncertainty as to the outcome of pending appeals or motions; (v) there are significant factual issues to be resolved; or (vi) novel legal issues or unsettled legal theories are being asserted. The outcomes of legal actions are unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties, and it is inherently difficult to determine whether any loss is probable or even possible. It is also inherently difficult to estimate the amount of any loss, and there may be matters for which a loss is probable or reasonably possible but not currently estimable. Accordingly, actual losses may be in excess of the established liability or the range of reasonably possible loss. Legal Matters In October 2015, Consumidores Financieros Asociación Civil para su Defensa, an Argentinian consumer association, filed a purported class action lawsuit in Argentina’s National Commercial Court No. 19 against the Company’s subsidiary Western Union Financial Services Argentina S.R.L. (“WUFSA”). The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that WUFSA’s fees for money transfers sent from Argentina are excessive and that WUFSA does not provide consumers with adequate information about foreign exchange rates. The plaintiff is seeking, among other things, an order requiring WUFSA to reimburse consumers for the fees they paid and the foreign exchange revenue associated with money transfers sent from Argentina, plus punitive damages. The complaint does not specify a monetary value of the claim or a time period. In November 2015, the Court declared the complaint formally admissible as a class action. The notice of claim was served on WUFSA in May 2016, and in June 2016 WUFSA filed a response to the claim and moved to dismiss it on statute of limitations and standing grounds. In April 2017, the Court deferred ruling on the motion until later in the proceedings. The process for notifying potential class members has been completed, and the case proceeded to the evidentiary stage. The case will be stayed until (i) the Attorney-General instructs the Prosecutor to continue to litigate the claims on behalf of the plaintiff (during the time the registration of Consumidores Financieros before the Secretary of Commerce remains suspended); or (ii) the parties report to the Court that the plaintiff recovered its legal capacity. Due to the stage of this matter, the Company is unable to predict the outcome or the possible loss or range of loss, if any, associated with this matter. WUFSA intends to defend itself vigorously. In April 2019, certain family members of Quinn Schansman filed a complaint seeking damages and other relief against a number of financial institutions, including The Western Union Company and Western Union Financial Services, Inc., in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging that the defendants violated the United States Anti-Terrorism Act. The operative complaint alleges that the defendants provided funding to a terrorist organization by processing money transfers to groups or individuals associated with the Donetsk People’s Republic (“DPR”), a pro-Russian separatist group in eastern Ukraine. The complaint alleges that DPR downed Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, on which Mr. Schansman was a passenger. On September 30, 2021, the Court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss the operative complaint. Due to the preliminary stage of this matter, the ultimate outcome and any potential financial impact to the Company cannot be reasonably determined at this time. The Company intends to defend itself vigorously in this matter. In addition to the principal matters described above, the Company is a party to a variety of other legal matters that arise in the normal course of the Company’s business. While the results of these other legal matters cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes that the final outcome of these matters will not have a material adverse effect either individually or in the aggregate on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

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