Sometimes, allowing someone access to your account might feel like the quickest way to make a payment. It’s also one of the simplest ways for scammers to get their hands on your money, and go undetected. It’s a breach of your contract with Wise, and for good reason.
With your login details, or remote access to your account, scammers can take your balance in seconds, and the money is not easy to retrieve. At Wise, security is incredibly important to us, and we have robust procedures going above and beyond what’s asked of us. But despite our house of bricks, the big bad wolf can still walk in and make a mess if the front door is open.
So what situations do you need to look out for, where you might give access to to a scammer, without even realising...
At Wise, we will never ask you to download software to access your device, or offer to make a payment for you. Our customer service agents will give clear instructions over the phone, or on email, but will never ask to take control of your device.
There has been a rise in fake customer service scams. This means scammers set-up fake websites and false phone numbers for Wise customer support, and use these to dupe customers into thinking they’re speaking to our real support teams. A polite voice on the end of the phone can suggest that the simplest thing is to let them take the reins and download an application or program that lets them move your money via their phone or laptop. Don’t let them convince you.
A real Wise customer service agent would never use this method to help you with a payment, and anyone who does ask for access to your device is not legitimate. The real customer support contact details are available on the Help page, when you’re logged into your account.
Giving access to your account to friends and family might feel harmless, but by sharing your details virtually, you are breaching the terms and conditions of your agreement with Wise.
If you need help using Wise, contact our customer service team who can help guide you through each step of the transaction. We will never ask you to share login details, share your screen, or download a third party app as part of this process.
At Wise, we work directly with you to ensure payments arrive where you want, when you want. We don’t use any ‘brokers’ or assistants to help set up or manage your account, as this can all be done easily through our site.
Unfortunately, where financial services use that model, scammers can see it as an opportunity to offer their ‘middle man services’. These services might be disguised as ‘ensuring you have the right currency’, or ‘creating an account on your behalf’ - but the reality is that they’re unnecessary, and could be a front for a scam. You should be especially cautious if any third party asks you to email personal details and information to them, in order to set up an account ‘for you’.
When logging into your Wise account, check the URL is “wise.com/login/”, similarly, if you’re asked to log in via a link in an email, make sure this has a @wise.com domain, anything else could be a malicious attempt to access your money.
Situations where you might be asked to log in via another platform
There’s a small number of cases where you might not log in directly with us. We work with some other major banks and service providers (like Xero, and Monzo) to help you make transfers directly from their apps, or you may use an Open Banking provider (like Emma and Plum) to help manage your money. If you are using a partner service, and it asks you to log in to your Wise account, they’ll always redirect you to https://wise.com to log in to.
You’ll be explicitly asked for permission to give the partner access to this account, and you should only allow access from companies you know and trust.
If you’re struggling with a payment for any reason, visit our help centre to see how we can assist. You can also log in to your Wise account to find our contact information, if you need to speak to an agent.
Are you based in Turkey?
If you’re logging in to Wise from Turkey, you will have a different URL (https://transferwiseturkiye.com.tr/)
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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