Consumer complaint received 2024-12-31 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem — 
Company: TransferWise Ltd
State: NH

Complaint narrative:
On XXXX XXXX, 2024 - when most people are preparing to enjoy XXXX XXXX XXXX- I am trying to send money from my XXXX XXXX  account to my XXXX bank, as I regularly do. From XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  checking account, to Wise.com Account Member account, as I have done unobtrusively hundreds of times. However, this time I am not able to accomplish a funds transfer because of extraordinarily intrusive practices by Wise.com. The amount of the transfer was {$3900.00}, to be converted to Euro. 

Like many modern international humans, I am frequently on XXXX XXXX. I am a legal New Hampshire resident, a legal US citizen, retired US military XXXX, I pay federal US taxes. Nonetheless, simply being on XXXX XXXX is enough for Wise.com to submit to me an email demanding shockingly personal information from me that I view as an infringement on my citizen consumer rights and my general citizen rights including freedom of movement.. 

Today I am in XXXX. In a couple weeks I will be in XXXX, from there in the XXXX, maybe after that to XXXX. Who knows. Maybe XXXX for a safari. I travel a lot. Seems Wise.com - in some XXXX XXXX imagined fashion - wants to track my movements and threaten to cancel my account on the basis of my physical movements.I wonder what Wise.com would do if I tried to make an online transfer while on an airplane in international airspace. 

Here is the nature of Wise.com demand ( which is also attached as PDF ) : ______ XXXX ( Wise ) XX/XX/year>, XXXX XXXX Hello XXXX, We are currently doing a regular check on your Wise profile. Before we can complete our review, we need you to provide some additional information regarding your Wise profile. 
Please send us a document proving your address this can be a utility bill or bank statement. 
This document should be from the last 3 months except a drivers license. We also need to see your name clearly on this. You can upload your documents here. 
Learn more about how we verify your address. 
Additionally, please send us the following information : Are you currently in a country different from your primary residence country? 
If you are just visiting another country, could you please confirm your arrival date in [ XXXX ] and the departure date from [ XXXX ]? 
What is your connection with [ XXXX ]? 
Are you currently in or have you recently been to [ XXXX ]? 
If we do not hear back from you within 7 days, we may have to deactivate your account and terminate the customer relationship. 

Kind regards, XXXX _________________ You can imagine my shock at receiving this sort of invasion of privacy, this spectacular infringement on my personal freedom. Wise - a money transfer company - apparently believes they are a law enforcement agency, and that they have a right to track my personal movements. Notice the personal nature of the questions they are asking me. Where have I been? When? What is my travel itinerary? Pure insanity How have we arrived at this point in society, where a company such as Wise has a sense of entitlement to personal information? I am XXXX XXXX XXXX and have never seen this sort of behavior from a company. I replied to this unprecedented intrusive demand, asking that their request be forwarded to Wise management and legal teams, so that I can understand their legal basis ( applicable legal codes, statutes ) for such an audacious request. 

While Wise was so quick to react to my money transfer request and within minutes sent me their inquiry, they responded to my request with silence. 
Hence I am asking that the CFPB 1. Look into this matter, corroborate with federal agencies as needed, so that our government can consider ushering in legislation to reign in these out of control companies and protect consumers like me. 

2. Instruct Wise to release their unlawful block on the transfer of my funds. 

3. Inform me of the final outcome. 

4. Consider accepting my offer to provide testimony before Congress regarding my financial matters overseas, as I believe such testimonial could provide valuable in enacting suitable legislative actions to protect US citizen interest overseas. 

Situations like this are of course profoundly frustrating, but I always see the good in the bad : by way of Wises disrespectful, shameful actions, I hope our government can take my input as a valuable way to bring about change in the way companies like Wise do business. 

Thank you in advance, Sincerely, XXXX XXXX - A US Citizen and Proud New Hampshire Legal Resident!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation