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Before You Wire Money

02/02/2022

By: Federal Trade Commission

Before You Wire Money

Why Scammers Want You To Wire Money

If you need to send money to someone you know and trust, wiring money through companies like Western Union and MoneyGram can be a useful way to get money there quickly. But scammers also find wire transfers useful.

Scammers know that

  • once you wire money to them, there’s usually no way to get your money back
  • they can pick up your money at any of the wire transfer company’s locations
  • it’s nearly impossible to identify who picked up the money, or track them down

Never wire money to anyone

  • you haven’t met in person
  • who says they work at a government agency like the IRS, SSA, or a well-known company
  • who pressures you into paying immediately
  • who says a wire transfer is the only way you can pay

Also don’t wire money to someone who tries to sell you something over the phone. Not only will you not have the same protections you would paying with a credit card, but it’s illegal for a telemarketer to ask you to pay with a wire transfer, like those with MoneyGram and Western Union. Report them if they ask you to pay this way.

Spot the Scam

Here are some common ways scammers try to convince people to wire money:

Fake Check Scams

Someone sends you a check and tells you to deposit it. They tell you to wire some or all of the money back to them — or to another person. The money appears in your bank account, so you do it. But the check is fake. It can take weeks for the bank to figure it out, but when it does, the bank will want you to repay the money you withdrew.

Scammers make up lots of stories to try to convince you to deposit a check and wire money:

  • Scammers say you’ve won a prize and need to wire money back to cover taxes and fees.
  • Scammers say it’s part of a mystery shopping assignment to evaluate a wire transfer service.
  • Scammers overpay you for something you’re selling online, then ask you to wire back the extra money.
  • Scammers say you got a job you applied for, send you a check to buy supplies, but tell you to wire back part of the money.

Romance Scams

Romance scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and apps. They strike up a relationship with you and work to build your trust, sometimes talking or chatting several times a day. Then, they make up a story — like saying they have an emergency — and ask for money. A romance scammer might also contact you through social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, or Google Hangouts.

Family Emergency Scams

You get an unexpected call from someone who pretends to be a friend or relative. They say they need cash for an emergency and beg you to wire money right away. They might say they need your help to get out of jail, pay a hospital bill, or leave a foreign country. They often ask you not to tell anyone in your family. Their goal is to trick you into sending money before you realize it’s a scam.

Apartment Rental Scams

You respond to an ad for an apartment with surprisingly low rent. Before you’ve even seen the apartment, you apply and are told to wire money — maybe for an application fee, security deposit, or the first month’s rent. After you wire the money, you find out that there is no apartment for rent, or that the scammer put their contact information on someone else’s photo or rental ad. Scammers run a similar scam with vacation rentals.

 

What To Do If You Wired Money to a Scammer

  • If you sent money using a wire transfer company like MoneyGram or Western Union, contact that company right away. Tell them it was a fraudulent transfer. Ask them to reverse the wire transfer and give you your money back.
    • MoneyGram at 1-800-MONEYGRAM (1-800-666-3947)
    • Western Union at 1-800-325-6000
  • If you sent the wire transfer through your bank, contact them and report the fraudulent transfer. Ask if they can reverse the wire transfer and give you your money back.

Report Fraud

If a scammer asked you to wire money, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Additional Resources and Information on Wire Fraud: 

(Source: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/before-you-wire-money)