Overpayment Scams via Wise
How fraudulent buyers exploit Wise transfers and fake payment confirmations to defraud international sellers.
Part of: Marketplace Seller Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a widely trusted international money transfer service used by freelancers, remote workers, and cross-border sellers. Its reputation for low fees and transparent exchange rates makes it a credible cover for scammers who use the Wise brand — or fabricated Wise notifications — to convince sellers that a payment has been made before it actually has.
The overpayment variant is particularly damaging: a buyer 'accidentally' sends more than the agreed price via Wise and asks the seller to refund the difference through a different channel. When the original Wise payment fails or is reversed, the seller has already refunded the 'overpayment' from their own funds.
How this scam works on Wise
A buyer contacts a seller — often through Upwork, Gumtree, Craigslist, or a Facebook selling group — and agrees to pay via Wise. The buyer sends a convincing but fraudulent Wise payment confirmation email or screenshot. In the overpayment variant, the email shows an amount larger than agreed and the buyer apologises, asking for the difference to be returned via bank transfer, PayPal, or crypto before the 'delayed' Wise funds clear.
In a simpler variant, the scammer claims the Wise transfer is 'processing' and asks for the goods or service to be released immediately. The payment either never arrives or is reversed after the scammer files a false dispute with Wise.
Common red flags
- Wise payment confirmation received by email only — no credit in your actual Wise account
- Buyer who 'accidentally overpays' and asks for a refund of the difference through a different channel
- Pressure to release goods or services while payment is described as 'still processing'
- Buyer found through a low-vetting marketplace who insists exclusively on Wise despite you not advertising it
- Wise confirmation email domain is misspelled or uses a lookalike domain
- Transaction reference number does not appear in your Wise account activity
How to protect yourself
- Log in to your Wise account directly and confirm the credit appears in your balance before releasing any goods or service
- Never refund a claimed overpayment until the original payment is fully cleared and confirmed in your account
- Refund overpayments through the same Wise channel they arrived on — never to a third-party account
- Verify the sender's Wise account email matches the contact email they use
- For high-value transactions, require the buyer to send from a Wise account where the legal name is visible
How to report it
- Report suspected fraud to Wise directly at wise.com/help — include transaction IDs and any fake confirmation screenshots
- File a report with Action Fraud (UK) at actionfraud.police.uk or your national fraud authority
- Report the fraudulent contact to the marketplace or platform where you were connected
Frequently asked questions
A buyer sent more than we agreed and asked me to refund the difference — is there any safe way to handle this?
The safest approach is to fully cancel the original transaction and ask the buyer to resend the correct amount, rather than refunding a "difference." Never refund any amount until the original payment is confirmed as cleared and settled in your own account balance — not pending, not "processing."
If I refund an overpayment through a different method than it arrived on, what's the risk?
If the original Wise payment later turns out to be fraudulent or reversed, you've now sent your own real funds to the buyer through PayPal, crypto, or bank transfer with no way to recover them, while the original "payment" you thought you received never actually clears. Always refund through the same channel and only after confirming the original funds are irreversibly settled.
How do I confirm a buyer's Wise payment actually reached my account rather than trusting their word?
Log directly into your own Wise account through the official app or website — never through a link in an email — and check your balance and transaction history for the specific payment. If it doesn't appear there, it hasn't been sent to you, regardless of what confirmation email or screenshot you were shown.
Is a Wise payment confirmation email proof that money has been sent?
No. A confirmation email only proves an email was sent, not that funds were transferred. Always verify receipt in your Wise account dashboard before treating a transaction as complete. Wise will never ask you to release goods based on an email alone.