All anyone needs to send money is:
1) A first and last name to use on the form as the sender's name
2) A first and last name to use on the form as the receiver's name
3) Money
All anyone needs to pick up the cash is:
1) The first and last name used on the form as the sender's name
2) The first and last name used on the form as the receiver's name
3) The eight or ten digit money transfer control number (MTCN#)
4) The test question and answer
And, all too frequently, only one or 2 of above listed requirements are actually needed to pick up the cash and disappear.
That is it, no ID required.
If you are:
1) sending money as part of a work-at-home job
2) buying from craigslist/kijiji/gumtree/forum/website
3) buying a pet or car/truck/trailer/motorhome/caravan
4) helping an online boy/girlfriend or refugee
5) paying taxes/fees on a loan/lottery/draw/government grant
6) paying visa/bank/airline/travel fees
7) paying deposit/rent for an apartment/house/condo
8) paying banker/barrister/lawyer/court fees
9) paying a transportation/courier/shipping company
10) receiving/forwarding money onto someone or some company
Then you are being scammed.
Just keep in mind that Western Union and moneygram are unsafe and unsecure ways to send money.
Western Union and moneygram do not verify anything on the form the sender fills out, not the name, not the street address, not the country, not even the gender of the receiver, it all means absolutely nothing. The clerk will not bother to check ID and will simply hand off the cash to whomever walks in the door with the MTCN# and question/answer. Neither company will tell the sender who picked up the cash, at what store location or even in what country the money walked out the door. Neither company has any kind of refund policy, money sent is money gone forever.
If you google "Western Union scam", "fraud moneygram scammer" or something similar you will find hundreds of posts from victims and near-victims who lost money via Western Union and moneygram.
Paypal can only get your money back if there is money left in the scammer's paypal-linked bank account. Scammers know this and will immediately withdrawal your money and disappear. No money in the scammer's paypal-linked bank account means absolutely no possibility of refund for you.
No, you never use Western Union for online purchases. Western Union even warns customers to NEVER use Western Union for online purchases
Western Union is not an escrow service. Once you send the money it's gone with NO way to get it back if you don't get what you bought. The seller can get the money within seconds of you sending it
Don't ever use Western Union for purchases. If they won't take a credit card or Paypal which offer protection and a way to get refunded then don't buy it
No.
If a seller only uses Western Union, they should be avoided.
Two groups use Western Union:
1) Scammers
2) Chinese Counterfeiters
Western Union payments can not be reversed or traced. That is why the scammers and Chinese counterfeiters use them.
I hope you know that if you are buying some name brand item online and the seller only takes Western Union, you are buying a cheap fake. It will look nothing like the picture on the site.
Amanada.
Good that you mentioned this, WELL DONE :)
This is a SCAM, YES a SCAM...When you send money by Western Union, the person will pick up CASH. That is it. You can't track the person down as you given the money as a gift when sending it to the person.
If I'm purchasing an item through western union can I have Western Union hold the funds until I recieve the tracking number?
