Fake Wise Order Confirmation Phishing Scam
Criminals send fake Wise payment receipts claiming the recipient was charged for a transfer they did not authorise, using alarm to prompt a login on a phishing page.
Part of: Fake Order Confirmation Phishing Scams
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026
Wise sends genuine transaction confirmations by email every time a transfer is sent or received. Scammers replicate these emails with high fidelity — including the exchange rate table, fee breakdown, and transaction reference — and send them to users claiming that a transfer of several hundred dollars or euros has just left their account.
The emotional response scammers rely on is immediate: a user who sees an unexpected large charge will click the cancellation or dispute link without first opening the Wise app to verify. The link leads to a cloned Wise login page, and credentials entered there are relayed in real time to the scammer who uses them to access the real account.
Wise's genuine transaction emails can be cross-referenced instantly by opening the app — the balance and transfer history are updated in near real time. This one step defeats the entire scam.
How this scam works on the Wise brand
The phishing email looks identical to a real Wise transfer receipt: it shows a source currency, destination currency, exchange rate, Wise fee, and recipient account details. The recipient account is listed as an unfamiliar name, creating urgency to cancel.
The 'Cancel Transfer' or 'Report Unauthorised' button opens a fake Wise login page. After entering email and password, a second step asks for a phone verification code — this is a real-time relay of the genuine OTP Wise sent to the victim's phone, which the scammer immediately uses to log in.
Once logged in, the scammer changes the registered email address, removes the phone-based two-factor method, and initiates outgoing transfers before the victim can act. Wise's own security systems may send a change-of-email alert, but the victim may not see it in time if their inbox is flooded.
Common red flags
- The email reports a transfer to a recipient you do not recognise.
- The from-address is not @wise.com.
- The link in the email does not resolve to wise.com.
- When you open the Wise app directly, you see no such transfer in your history.
- You are asked to enter both your password and a one-time code on the same page.
- The email arrived at an unusual hour and the transfer timestamp matches exactly.
- The linked page does not use the same design details as the genuine Wise web app.
How to protect yourself
- Open the Wise app or navigate to wise.com directly — check your balance and transfers before clicking anything in a suspicious email.
- Enable Wise push notifications so you receive real-time alerts for genuine transfers.
- Use an authenticator app rather than SMS for Wise two-factor authentication — harder to intercept.
- Bookmark wise.com and use only the bookmark — never navigate to Wise from an email link.
- Review your Wise email-notification settings to know what genuine Wise emails look like.
How to report it
- Forward the phishing email to [email protected].
- Report through the Wise app: Help > Report a problem.
- Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- File with Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk if you are a UK user.
- File with ic3.gov if funds were taken.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can I check whether a Wise transfer email is genuine?
Instantly. Open the Wise app or go to wise.com — transfers appear in your activity the moment they are initiated. If the app shows nothing, the email is fake.
Can Wise reverse a fraudulent outgoing transfer?
If you report the fraud very quickly, Wise may be able to recall a transfer that has not yet been deposited. Speed is critical — contact Wise support through the app immediately.
Why does the fake email look so accurate with exchange rates and fees?
Scammers can insert any numbers they choose. They use real exchange rates for the day to add believability. The accuracy of the numbers does not mean the email is real.