Wise Impersonation Scams
Scammers impersonate Wise with fake international transfer alerts and phishing pages designed to steal login credentials and redirect payments. Wise will never ask you to confirm a transfer by clicking a link in an unsolicited email.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Wise (formerly TransferWise) is widely used for international money transfers, and the cross-border nature of its service is exploited by fraudsters who create urgency around 'failed' or 'flagged' transactions. Phishing emails that replicate Wise's design direct users to convincing fake login pages where credentials are captured and used to redirect real transfers.
Genuine Wise security alerts are always accessible inside your account — you should never need to act on instructions in an email alone.
How scammers impersonate it
- Sending emails mimicking Wise transfer alerts with links to phishing login pages
- Claiming a transfer has been held and requires identity re-verification via an external link
- Spoofing Wise email addresses to make messages appear to come from wise.com
- Creating fake Wise customer service phone numbers promoted through search ads
- Sending fake two-factor authentication requests to intercept codes and take over accounts
What the real organisation never does
- Ask you to verify your identity or confirm a transfer by clicking a link in an unsolicited email
- Request your full password or one-time code via phone or chat
- Place calls asking you to move funds to a 'holding account' for verification
- Offer to reverse a transfer in exchange for an upfront fee
Common red flags
- Email about a flagged or held transfer with a link to a non-wise.com domain
- Urgency: 'Your transfer will be cancelled unless you verify within 24 hours'
- Phone call from someone claiming to be Wise asking for your one-time code
- Login page that does not show a padlock and the exact domain wise.com
- Request for your full Social Security Number or passport details via email
Sanitized example messages
Illustrative, sanitized examples. Personal details are replaced with placeholders such as [phone number] and [fake link].
Email: 'Wise: Your transfer of [amount] to [country] has been flagged. Confirm your identity at [fake-wise-link] to release the funds.'
Call: 'This is Wise compliance — your account is under review. Please read us the code just sent to your phone.'
How to verify
- Access your Wise account directly at wise.com — never follow email links to log in
- All transfer statuses are visible in the app; genuine alerts are mirrored there
- Call Wise support only through the number on the official website, not from search results
- Enable login verification in your Wise settings and monitor it for unexpected activity
What to do if you're targeted
- Log in directly to wise.com and check whether any actual transfer issue exists
- Change your password and revoke active sessions if you entered credentials on a fake site
- Report the phishing email to [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
Wise sent me an email saying my transfer is on hold — what should I do?
Go to wise.com directly in your browser and log in to check your transfer status. Do not click the link in the email. If there is no hold shown in your account, the email was phishing.