Judge orders fake Visa, Mastercard settlement website taken down

Update:

• A New York federal judge ordered the unknown individuals operating a fake Visa and Mastercard settlement website to take down the site, identify themselves in court and explain themselves. 
• U.S. District Judge Margo K. Brodie’s order came at the behest of a New York magistrate judge, who earlier this month recommended the district judge order the website, settlement2023.org, immediately taken down. 
• Unknown third parties set up the fake settlement website in the wake of a $5.6 billion settlement upheld in November that Visa, Mastercard and merchants approved.
• As of now, the website appears to have disappeared from the URL; however, Judge Brodie advised the counsel for the settlement class to look out for any similar scams. 
• The settlement resolved claims Visa and Mastercard improperly fixed debit and credit card fees. 

Visa Mastercard settlement overview: 

• Who: A New York magistrate judge recommended that a district judge order the scam website Settlement2023.org be shut down.
• Why: The unauthorized website was attempting to collect third-party claims for a $5.6 billion settlement between 12 million merchants and both Visa and Mastercard by mirroring the court-authorized website.
• Where: The Visa Mastercard settlement is being managed in federal court in New York.

(Dec. 6, 2023)

A judge in New York ordered an unauthorized settlement website to be shut down, as it is for third-party filing and not the legitimate court-approved website for a $5.6 billion settlement between 12 million merchants and both Visa and Mastercard.

The settlement was reached after 15 years of litigation and was upheld in November for the companies who accused the credit card companies of improperly fixing credit and debit card fees.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo recommended that the district judge in the case order settlement2023.org be immediately taken down as it was an attempt to mirror the court-authorized settlement website.

At this point, the operators of settlement2023.org are unknown. Attorneys have attempted to reach the site operators through email, online contact form and scheduling and through Hostinger.com, according to Martollo’s recommendation.

“Class counsel informed the court that, following Epiq’s takedown request to the site’s host, Hostinger.com, the website settlement2023.org is no longer in operation,” the recommendation says. “Class counsel noted that visitors to the site are now directed to a ‘blank page stating the site can’t provide a secure connection.’”

Scam website left voicemail from company with Snoop Dogg purportedly referring companies to website

Some impacted companies have reported receiving solicitations to sign up for the Visa Mastercard settlement from the scam website that include a voicemail purportedly from rap legend Snoop Dogg promoting Settlement2023.org.

The magistrate judge recommended that the scam website be required to list all class members that signed up for services on the site, provide written notice to those class members that the contract is void, the takedown of any other websites attempting to mirror the court-authorized site and list all of the owners and operators of the settlement2023.org site along with providing contact information.

“Should the Settlement2023.org Entity fail to adequately respond to the above four directives within 30 days of the date of the district judge’s order, this court respectfully recommends that the district judge permanently enjoin the Settlement2023.org entity from taking any role in the settlement in this action,” Marutollo wrote.

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