I'm sure you may have already tried this, but I'll mention it anyway since sometimes people overlook the easiest way to get their money back (at least that's my experiance having worked at a bank for some time). Have you called to see if the Money Order has been cashed, and if it hasn't you may be able to cancel it (ie. lost or stolen). I'm sure its probably already been cashed but there's always a chance and sometimes the Money Order issuer may have other recourse even if it has been cashed (it doesn't hurt to ask). I would say to also have it traced and recorded to see where it went, but that really won't do much good unless you take legal action (which more than likely would not be worth doing since your outside the country and the cost of you attending a court hearing will far outway the reward...that is unless you just want to be on Judge Judy or People's Court).