Chris Moneymaker started it.
He got angry when PayPal not only suspended his account to investigate his $12K balance, money he held for a group of friends who gathered those funds for a fantasy football league. But he put his foot down when PayPal ended up confiscating every penny in that account. He hired an attorney, one who had just represented poker pro Todd Witteles in a lawsuit involving Mike Postle.
That attorney, Eric Bensamochan, worked with Moneymaker to gather information for a lawsuit against PayPal Holdings for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and bad faith. Further, though, they wondered if more people in the poker community had the same issue with PayPal. Moneymaker used his broad social media reach to ask if anyone wanted to discuss joining the lawsuit.
They did.
The initial response indicated a great interest in the case. And that interest came from beyond the poker community. People began contacting the Bensamochan Law Firm from around the United States. Most people didn’t have the time or means to file a lawsuit against a powerhouse like PayPal, but it turned out they were very interested in joining a class action suit.
Moneymaker Out, Matusow In
PayPal may not have liked the idea of a globally recognizable person like Chris Moneymaker starting a class action lawsuit against them. In mid-June, PayPal processed a refund for his money.
Moneymaker no longer had a horse in the race, but he made it clear that he would support the case moving forward in any way possible. Further, Bensamochan indicated that he had plenty of people to pursue a class action and would continue doing so.
A number of people involved in poker and gaming have spoken with Bensamochan about participating in the lawsuit. One of those was Mike Matusow.
https://twitter.com/themouthmatusow/status/1414707860366262272?s=20
When contacted for a statement, Bensamochan responded:
“The Bensamochan Law Firm is proud to be representing four-time WSOP bracelet winner Mike “The Mouth” Matusow in his battle against PayPal. The firm has received over a hundred inquiries from people from all walks of life and in all parts of the world who have had funds seized by PayPal. We will not waiver and intend to seek justice for all those who have been victimized by this.”
Come One, Come All
Bensamochan is still receiving calls and messages from interested parties who’ve lost money to PayPal seizures. Recently, word spread to a popular Discord discussion entitled “PayPal Lawsuit AUP,” and the responses are growing exponentially. Bensamochan already hired a new legal assistant to handle the inquiries for this matter.
The attorney and his assistant have clarified several pieces of information in the discussion.
First, there is no cost to the people who want to participate in the class action. The firm will cover all fees and expenses associated with filing the lawsuit and arguing the case. It is only at the point of a financial victory that Bensamochan’s firm will take a percentage of the recovered funds. The firm will provide more information to anyone upon request.
Second, there is no minimum amount of money confiscated by PayPal. People must be able to show communication from PayPal that the company seized the funds, no matter the amount. They simply must send an email to info@eblawfirm.us containing the information on requested the intake form.
Also, the class action is not limited to people in the United States.
The goal is to file the lawsuit by the end of July.
https://twitter.com/CMONEYMAKER/status/1405686168025546754?s=20
https://twitter.com/themouthmatusow/status/1414709487844294656?s=20
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