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| U.S. Rules Force Western Union to Block Some Money Transfers by Muslims |
| 2006-07-02 |
| Money transfer agencies like Western Union have delayed or blocked thousands of cash deliveries on suspicion of terrorist connections simply because senders or recipients have names like Mohammed or Ahmed, company officials said. In one example, an Indian driver here said Western Union prevented him from sending US$120 (euro96) to a friend at home this month because the recipient's name was Mohammed. "Western Union told me that if I send money to Sahir Mohammed, the money will be blocked because of his name," said 36-year-old Abdul Rahman Maruthayil, who later sent the money through UAE Exchange, a Dubai-based money transfer service. Western Union Financial Services, Inc., an American company based in Colorado, said its clerks simply are following U.S. Treasury Department guidelines that aim to scrutinize cash flows for terrorist links. Most of the flagged transactions are delayed a few hours. Some are blocked entirely. In many cases, would-be customers like Maruthayil simply find another way to send the funds — often through informal exchanges with less stringent monitoring. n Washington, U.S. Treasury spokeswoman Molly Millerwise said foreign banks have used the department's list of terrorist names to freeze US$150 million (euro117 million) in assets since it was released after Sept. 11. Millerwise didn't know the value of money transfers blocked using the list, but she said frustrations endured by those with certain names were regrettable but necessary. The list of names, available on the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control Web site, contains hundreds of Mohammeds. Western Union's caution is perhaps understandable. Sept. 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta sent money from two Western Union agencies in Maryland before boarding a plane he helped crash into New York's World Trade Center. A Western Union executive who deals with security measures said about 1 percent of the store's 30,000 daily money transfers — about 300 a day — are delayed or blocked because of suspected terrorist links. Thus far, all have proven false, the executive said on condition of anonymity, because she wasn't permitted to speak to the press. Western Union routinely delays or blocks transfers between customers whose names even partially match names on the Treasury list. The money is usually released once suspects can show identity documents that prove they are not on the list, the executive said. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #5 The program is much broader than just terrorism. Transfers are blocked for lots of reasons. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2006-07-02 22:23 |
| #4 Robert, c'mon. This is a sure sign of Islamophobia, and brings unjustified humiliation. Why, he's too depressed to even start seething! |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie 2006-07-02 21:25 |
| #3 Wasn't aware, Sea, thanks |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-07-02 19:42 |
| #2 I'm at a loss as to why this is a problem. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-07-02 19:41 |
| #1 Western Union has been part of some of the worst frauds on ebay. Eastern European and African scammers in particular have fleeced tens of thousands of well-meaning ebay buyers and sellers using Western Union money transfer services. It's shameful. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-07-02 15:22 |