What is WUVISAAFT?
WUVISAAFT is a credit card charge sent using Western Union Visa Direct. The odd name is a combination of 3 abbreviations: "WU," meaning Western Union, "VISA," for the cardholder company, and "AFT" for Account Funding Transfer." It appears whenever you use Western Union Visa Direct to transfer money directly from your bank account to another person's Visa card in a foreign country. Depending on your financial institution, the charge may also appear as "WUVISAFT 800-325-6000," "WUVISAAFT 8003256000," "WU 800-325-6000 co," or "Visa Direct Pay." The numeric code 8003256000 refers to Western Union's customer service phone number, which is 1-800-325-6000.
Why WUVISAAFT Might Appear on Your Bank Statement
You sent money to someone using Visa Direct. When you want to send funds to friends and family overseas, Western Union allows you to do that using Visa Direct. Typically, the other person sees the money in their bank account in just 30 minutes after you use this method. Currently, you can only use Visa Direct to send money to bank accounts in these countries: Philippines, Jamaica, Thailand, Colombia, and El Salvador.
You paid for an international purchase using Visa Direct. Some merchants overseas may offer Western Union Visa Direct as an option to pay for their goods. If you paid for an item in a foreign country using this method, you'll probably see a WUVISAAFT or WUVISAFT charge on your bank statement.
You were scammed into sending someone money. Scammers are extremely skilled and sophisticated at convincing people to give them money. They'll often offer a service (like anti-virus protection), claim the money will go to charity, or pretend to be your bank and ask you to pay a late credit card fee. The best way to avoid getting scammed is to never transfer money to anyone you don't know, especially if they ask you to use Western Union or Visa Direct.
Someone used your Western Union account or stole your credit card. If you don't remember using Western Union to send money to someone or make a purchase overseas, ask your close relatives. It could be that your spouse or someone else who has access to your Western Union account is responsible for the charge. If it wasn't someone you know, your Western Union account may have been hacked, or your card information might have been stolen.
What to Do If the WUVISAAFT Transaction Isn't Yours
Call your bank and ask them to shut off your card. The first thing you should do after seeing a WUVISAAFT charge you think is fraudulent is reach out to your bank. Their first step will be to shut your card off to prevent any other unwanted charges from coming through. They may also ask you some questions about your recent spending to make sure you didn't use Visa Direct and forgot. Some banks offer a mobile app where you can shut off your card yourself. If your bank offers this feature, log in and shut the card off yourself before calling customer service. That's the quickest way to stop any other fraudulent transactions from coming through.
Call the Western Union Fraud Hotline at 1-800-448-1942. Tell the fraud agent you noticed an unauthorized Western Union charge on your bank statement. They can investigate the matter and let you know your next steps, which could include shutting down your Western Union account (if you have one). Just know that Western Union doesn't guarantee refunds, especially if you sent the money of your own free will (even if you were scammed).
How to Use Western Union Visa Direct
Register an account with Western Union or log into an existing one. To register a Western Union profile, all you need to do is set up an email address and password. Make sure the password is at least 8 characters long (you can also use a password manager to generate a strong password for you).
Start a money transfer and select "Visa Direct" as the receiving method. When you start the transfer, Western Union will ask for your bank account or credit card number so they know where to withdraw the funds. They'll also ask you to enter a destination country for the money and the amount you want to send. Fill out the send amount carefully so you don't send more (or less) than you intended by accident.
Enter the recipient's name and Visa card details. Ask the recipient ahead of time to send you their full card number. You'll also need them to send you their name as it appears on the card, including any middle initials. It's important to get this information right, or the transaction may not go through.
Confirm the payment and track its progress. After you confirm the payment, Western Union will begin transferring the money to the recipient. They'll also give you a 10-digit tracking number called an MTCN, which stands for "Money Transfer Control Number." Enter your MTCN on the Western Union Money Transfer tracker to follow the transfer's progress and make sure it goes through.
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