Send a written Request for Reconsideration to the address named in your denial within 10 days after you receive it. You get only one request, and a different official decides it. Remission means the government returns forfeited fraud proceeds to victims. Your denial letter must state the reasons for denial and explain how to seek reconsideration.
Official resources:
- Read the official guidance from Justice — Use this primary source to verify the official guidance.
- Read the official guidance from Justice — Use this primary source to verify the official guidance.
Table of Contents
- Which rule decides a fraud remission denial?
- How fast must you act?
- What must your request include?
- What are the limits after reconsideration?
Which rule decides a fraud remission denial?
Federal fraud-victim remission follows 28 C.F.R. Part 9. Fraud victims without a superior ownership interest proceed under section 9.8.
In judicial forfeiture cases, the Chief of the DOJ Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section decides the petition. The denial must be mailed to you or your attorney of record. According to Cornell LII, it must state the reasons for denial and advise that reconsideration may be requested in 28 C.F.R. §9.4 on Cornell LII.
How fast must you act?
You have 10 days after you receive the denial notice. The request must be postmarked or received at the ruling official's office within that period, as described in the GovRegs restatement of the reconsideration rule.
Use the address listed in the denial, not a general agency address. Keep proof of mailing and proof of receipt. Administrators enforce firm cutoff dates, so mail early and keep copies of everything.
What must your request include?
You get only one reconsideration. According to the DOJ Criminal Division remission bulletin, it must present newly developed or previously unconsidered evidence or show the denial was erroneous.
A different official from the one who denied the claim decides reconsideration. Direct new proof at the deficiency named in the letter.
- Identify the case, petition number, and date of denial
- Quote or attach the stated reason for denial
- Explain what was missing, wrong, or misunderstood
- Add bank records, receipts, account statements, or identity documents that fix the gap
- State the amount lost and the address for reply
What are the limits after reconsideration?
Remission is a discretionary act of grace by the Attorney General. According to DOJ guidance on victim compensation, courts do not review the merits of a denial. Review is limited at most to whether procedural requirements were followed.
That makes the reconsideration packet your real appeal. Correct the stated deficiency completely before filing. Never pay anyone who claims to expedite remission, because DOJ, the FTC, and remission administrators state they never charge petitioners.