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Commitments and Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | 6. Commitments and Contingencies Letters of Credit and Bank Guarantees The Company had approximately $370 million in outstanding letters of credit and bank guarantees as of March 31, 2023, which were primarily held in connection with regulatory requirements, lease arrangements, and certain agent agreements. The Company expects to renew many of its letters of credit and bank guarantees prior to expiration. 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 March 31, 2023. 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 is in the evidentiary stage. 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 December 2022, a purported class action complaint was filed against several money transfer business defendants, including the Company, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that these defendants violated the federal Right to Financial Privacy Act and California’s Financial Information Privacy Act. The United States Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are also named as defendants. The operative complaint alleges that the defendants violated plaintiffs’ financial privacy rights by sharing private financial information with law enforcement agencies through a program coordinated by the Transaction Record Analysis Center. On January 24, 2023, an amended complaint was filed naming Western Union Financial Services, Inc. ("WUFSI") as a defendant in place of The Western Union Company. 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. WUFSI intends to defend itself vigorously in this matter. In late 2017, three individuals filed a lawsuit against certain alleged Western Union entities (collectively, the “Defendants”) in the Commercial Court in Kinshasa-Gombe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ("DRC"), which was later joined by three additional individuals. These six individuals (the "Plaintiffs"), including current and/or former DRC government officials, claim that their privacy rights were violated and sought €22.4 million in damages. In 2018, the Commercial Court in Kinshasa-Gombe entered a judgme nt against the Defendants in the amount of €10.5 million. In 2019, the Commercial Court in Kinshasa-Gombe entered a judgment against The Western Union Company ("TWUC") in the amount of €9 million. The business in the DRC is operated through independent agents. No Western Union entity has a presence in the country. The Plaintiffs have previously sought and may continue to attempt to seize funds from the Company's independent agents in the DRC to satisfy the judgments. The Defendants recently learned that certain challenges to the judgments have been denied and are awaiting formal written decisions. The Defendants and TWUC intend to continue to challenge both judgments and defend themselves vigorously in these matters. 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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