Yes, Western Union money transfers are a safe way to send and receive money in more than 200 countries around the world. In addition to being the fastest way to send money, Western Union protects its users with a number of safety features.
To initiate a wire transfer through Western Union (WU), the sender is required to provide photo identification. The recipient must also provide identification when they go to pick up the money you transferred. Plus, every money transfer service is linked to a tracking number that allows you to verify the status of the transfer.
Although WU is a secure way to send funds throughout the United States and across the globe, you need to be certain that you’re sending money to someone you can trust. Con artists often suggest Western Union money orders as a means of payment for their scams. So as a rule of thumb, you should only use Western Union to send money to friends, family, and established businesses.
How Do Western Union Scams Work?
Western Union scams usually work by convincing someone that they have an urgent need for something. Scammers often cold call random people until they find a trusting victim that they can take advantage of.
With the advanced fee scam, the scammer will offer a service that they have no intention of providing in exchange for payment upfront via Western Union. They might suggest that your computer is infected with a virus or claim to be your credit card company seeking payment for your recent usage.
If you receive a cold call asking for money via WU, it’s almost certainly a scam that you should avoid. If you aren’t sure, ask for a phone number to get back to the caller and then search for the number with Google. More often than not, you’ll find a number of other people complaining about phone calls they’ve received from the number.
You can read about the various Western Union scams on their website if you’re concerned about falling victim to them. But so long as you only wire money to people you trust, Western Union is one of the safest options available.
The Fastest Way to Send Money Safely
To find Western Union near you, visit our locations page for a list of West Suburban Currency Exchange locations. Every one of our stores doubles as a WU agent location, making it easy to send or receive national and international money transfers.
