Is Western Union Safe? | Consumer Protection Information (2024)

FAQs

Is Western Union Safe? | Consumer Protection Information? ›

Western Union employs a variety of techniques, including SSL technology, to keep your personal information safe.

Does Western Union offer an escrow service or any kind of buyer protection? Western Union does not offer an escrow service or any type of "purchase protection" policy. Western Union's business is to transfer funds from a sender to a receiver.

At Western Union, we use Strong Customer Authentication, or SCA, to protect online money transfers.

If the transfer has not been paid, then we can stop the transaction and refund your money. 1-800-448-1492 or by using our online fraud claim form to file a fraud report.

Send money with confidence

Western Union takes safety seriously. As one of the most reliable and oldest financial services and communications companies in the world, we provide a wide variety of money transfer options to more than 200 countries.

Qualifying refunds for transfers that begin and end in the United States will be made within 45 days of receipt of Your valid written request. Western Union may issue Your refund through a WU money transfer or Western Union may issue the refund to the credit or debit card that was used to pay for the transaction.

Western Union is a trapdoor system. You can put the money in but the person but the person has no obligation to send you the money if he's a scammer or something like that.

If your transfer hasn't been picked up or deposited, you can cancel it and get a refund¹. To check your transfer status, go to Track a transfer. Log in to westernunion.com or go to our app to see your recent transfers. Choose a transfer to cancel and then select Show details.

Western Union maintains your choice and transaction history based on our record retention policies. If you do not perform another transaction within the retention time period, your personal information, as well as your choice will be removed. We reserve the right to independently verify claims made.

insurance available up to $250,000 per individual (or such other coverage limit determined by the FDIC) in the event a Bank Partner fails. FDIC insurance coverage is contingent upon Western Union maintaining accurate records and on determinations of the FDIC.

Has Western Union been hacked? ›

The thieves got names, addresses, phone numbers, and complete credit-card information by breaching a Western Union database sometime in late May, according to a July 6 letter sent to customers by James Keese, Western Union's privacy officer.

In the event the Money Order has not cleared, and Western Union is able to locate and verify the information provided by you, Western Union may issue a refund of the face amount of the Money Order. Western Union reserves the right to deny requests which are not permissible under applicable law or Western Union policy.

Banks often refund scammed money, but it's not guaranteed. The likelihood of a refund depends on your bank's policies, the type of scam, the payment method used, and how quickly you report the fraud. To increase your chances of recovering your money, take these steps.

A consumer filed a separate class action lawsuit against Western Union in 2022 over claims the company failed to make its website accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

Sending a Western Union money transfer costs $5 + 1% for any amount between $0 –$300.99 and $5 + 1.75% for amounts between $301 –$999.99 of the money transfer.

WorldRemit is a good Western Union alternative for individuals looking for a flexible and popular method to send payments to over 130 countries worldwide. Users can set up payments online or in-app and choose from five payout options.

The answer is: it depends. Timing matters. If your payment has been released to the recipient - in cash or to their bank account, you might not be able to get your money back. If the payment has not yet been processed, you can contact Western Union and ask them to stop the payment and return your money.

No. Western Union does not offer escrow or buyer protection. To help protect yourself from fraud, never send money to someone you don't know. If you suspect you may have been the victim of fraud using Western Union, contact us immediately.

Only the person you sent it to can pick up the money. They have to show identification before any money is released to the person. Using all available ways to receive money through Western Union.