Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service -- Fraud or scam -- Complaint #5251707
Complaint Overview
Complaint ID: 5251707
Company: Transferwise Ltd
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-Product: International money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam
State: Illinois
ZIP Code: 60607
Date Received: 2022-02-22T12:00:00-05:00
Date Sent to Company: 2022-02-22T12:00:00-05:00
Company Response: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Submitted Via: Web
Consumer Narrative
In XX/XX/XXXX, based on a friend 's recommendation, I visited a vacation rental home website to rent her neighbor 's property in XXXX, California, USA. The vacation rental home website is called : XXXX. I used the right side of the website called " Contact Owner '' to reach out to the owner. I received an email from the owner, XXXX, who let me know that the property was only available for 26 days at a time, as such, I did not move forward. I also received another email from the email address : XXXX. The contact was named XXXX XXXX who asked for desired check-in/out dates, number of bedrooms, and preferred location. He also asked about preferred budget and stated that he manages a lot of properties and could offer an attractive discount. I responded with my preferences and he sent an offer for a vacation rental property. He included a link to view the property via XXXX. I asked for the address of the property and he provided the following address : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, California. He let me know that 50 % of the total was due as a deposit and the remaining amount was due 30 days prior to the arrival date. He also let me know that the owners of the property live in XXXX and require payment with the company XXXX ( formerly TransferWise ). I recognize XXXX as I have used the company in the past and already had an account. Therefore, on XX/XX/XXXX, I sent the money through XXXX to the stated " Owners '' of the property : XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX. Eight days later, I realized that the transaction was a scam after Googling the email address ( XXXX ). There were at least 20 reviewers with similar experiences that claimed this entity was a scammer for rental properties. At this point ( on XX/XX/XXXX ), I reached back out to XXXX via email to ask for the money back, and he agreed to send the money via check to my mailing address. However, the check did not arrive. I let him know that the money did not arrive and asked him to reverse the XXXX transaction. However, I did not receive a response from XXXX. After this, I contacted my bank. My bank provided a temporary reimbursement while an investigation was performed. After the investigation was complete 60 days later ( XX/XX/XXXX ), the reimbursement was removed since my bank determined that XXXX is the company responsible in this matter. As such, I am looking to get a refund for the amount with XXXX.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Complaint #5251707 about?
Complaint #5251707 was filed against Transferwise Ltd regarding Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service specifically about Fraud or scam. It was received by the CFPB on 2022-02-22T12:00:00-05:00.
How did Transferwise Ltd respond to this complaint?
The company responded with: "Closed with explanation". The response was timely.
What is the risk level of this complaint?
See the risk assessment section for details on this complaint's risk profile.
How do I file a similar complaint?
You can file a complaint with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. Select the appropriate product category (Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service) and describe your issue in detail.
Can I see other complaints against Transferwise Ltd?
Yes, visit the Transferwise Ltd company profile at readthecomplaint.com/company/transferwise-ltd to see all complaints, risk scores, and analysis.
Disclaimer
This analysis is AI-generated based on publicly available CFPB complaint data. It does not constitute financial or legal advice.