Deepfake Voice Calls Impersonating Wise International Transfer Support
AI-generated voice calls impersonate Wise customer-support agents claiming a large international transfer is pending approval, pressuring victims into sharing their OTP or authorising a payment reversal — actions that result in account compromise or fraudulent outbound transfers.
Part of: Deepfake Voice Scams
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026
Wise handles significant amounts of international transfer traffic, and its customers are accustomed to receiving notifications about transfers in progress. Criminals exploit this familiarity by deploying AI voice technology to simulate Wise support calls, claiming that an unusual transfer has been initiated from the victim's account and requires immediate 'verification' to proceed or be cancelled.
The psychological pressure is acute: if you receive a call claiming an unauthorised international transfer of thousands of pounds is about to complete unless you act in the next few minutes, the urgency may override normal caution. AI-generated voices now produce smooth, professional-sounding agents that reference your real name and approximate account details — obtained from breach data — to sound credible.
Wise's genuine customer-support model means that users who have never received a Wise support call before may be especially vulnerable, having no clear prior-call experience to compare against.
How this scam works on the Wise brand
Real Wise support is primarily through the wise.com help centre and in-app messaging. While Wise does have a callback option in some regions, Wise agents will never call you to ask for your in-app verification code, one-time passcode, or to instruct you to authorise a new payment to 'cancel' a suspected fraudulent one.
The deepfake call scenario: the victim receives a call on their registered mobile number. The AI-generated voice announces a transfer of a specific amount to a foreign country has been flagged. To halt the transfer, the victim must 'verify' their identity by providing the code Wise has just sent them. Simultaneously, the attacker — who has the victim's credentials — is attempting to complete a login or initiate a new transfer on the real Wise platform, and needs the OTP the victim reads out.
The alternative narrative asks the victim to go into the Wise app and authorise a 'reversal payment' to a provided account number that will 'cancel' the suspicious transfer — which in practice is a new transfer to the attacker's account.
Common red flags
- An inbound call claiming to be from Wise asks you to read back an OTP or verification code you just received
- The caller asks you to approve a payment in the Wise app to 'cancel' or 'reverse' a suspicious transfer
- The Wise app shows no suspicious activity or pending transfer when you check it directly after the call
- The call audio is unusually smooth, with pauses that feel scripted — possible AI voice generation
- The caller creates urgency: 'The transfer completes in two minutes if you do not verify now'
- The caller refuses to let you call Wise back through the official number to verify
How to protect yourself
- Never share an OTP or verification code with any inbound caller, regardless of who they claim to be
- End the call and call Wise back using the number on wise.com/help to verify any claimed issue
- Check the Wise app directly for any suspicious activity — if there is none, the call was fraudulent
- Never authorise a new payment in the Wise app at a caller's instruction
- Switch Wise 2FA to an authenticator app to reduce SMS-OTP exposure
- Report suspicious calls to Wise and to your national fraud reporting body immediately
How to report it
- Report the fraudulent call to Wise at wise.com/help
- Forward any related phishing emails or smishing messages to [email protected]
- Report to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk (UK) or IC3.gov (US)
- Report the calling number to your mobile carrier's fraud team
- File a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify a call claiming to be from Wise is real?
Hang up and call Wise back using the contact number listed at wise.com/help. A genuine Wise agent will have a record of any outbound call attempt and can verify the situation. This simple step eliminates the risk from any spoofed or AI-generated call.
Does Wise call customers about suspicious transfers?
Wise may have outbound contact mechanisms in some regions, but its primary fraud alerts are delivered in-app and by email. Genuine Wise agents will not ask you to share an OTP or to authorise a payment to reverse fraud.
What is the risk if I authorise a 'reversal payment' at a caller's request?
Authorising a payment sends real money to the recipient immediately. If that recipient account is controlled by a fraudster, the payment is lost. Wise and banks treat caller-instructed authorised payments differently from unauthorised transactions — recovering them may be more difficult.