I turned to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) after losing my entire life savings, more than $70,000 USD, in a scam. The financial institution, Wise (formerly TransferWise), allowed a massive transfer to leave my account within seconds. There were no warnings, no interventions, and no security checks, despite this amount being completely out of character for my usual activity. I trusted their platform with my livelihood, and it was stolen from my account in an instant.
I provided the FOS with extensive evidence, timelines, and documentation. I explained exactly how the transaction happened, the surrounding circumstances, and my urgent attempts to recall the funds immediately after discovering the theft.
Instead of treating my case with the gravity it deserved, the whole process left me feeling like just another file in a routine queue. The real, human impact of this loss was completely ignored. Key details were overlooked, and the reasoning in their final decision completely bypassed the evidence I provided. It felt entirely like an exercise in defending the financial institution rather than investigating the truth of what happened to me.
Adding to the injustice, after my FOS case was closed, Wise actually acknowledged in a communication with a U.S. regulator that I was the victim of a scam, even providing another “final response”. I urgently passed this including new information to the FOS, but they coldly declined to review my case, stating their decision was final.
I previously wrote a review describing this nightmare in detail, naming the investigators and those involved in the final decision. The FOS flagged that review and had it removed. I am reposting it now without any names, because while they can silence a name, they cannot erase the truth.
The financial loss has been absolutely devastating, but the stress, trauma, and profound sense of injustice have taken a severe toll on my health. I am a stroke patient, and every single day has become a struggle for survival. Losing everything I had in a matter of seconds pushed my life into a constant state of uncertainty, distress, and pain. The weight of this injustice has left me fighting just to hold on, both physically and emotionally.
Furthermore, I am based outside the UK in a low-income country. The handling of this case, combined with my health condition, has had a severe and ongoing impact on my safety and my ability to live independently.
To make matters worse, I never received a Subject Access Request (DSAR) directly from Wise. The only documents I ever saw were the ones Wise submitted to the FOS as their "evidence." When I reviewed those files, I immediately noticed that some of the PayPal-related screenshots and email receipts were fabricated. The layout, fonts, and timestamp styles were noticeably irregular, and the email formatting did not match a standard structure. These fake documents were easy to detect, yet I am left deeply distressed that the FOS accepted and relied upon fabricated evidence to dismiss my case.
I am sharing my story here so others understand that the FOS process does not always provide the protection, fairness, or justice that victims so desperately need. I wish with all my heart that this was not my story, but it is.
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We were set up by Parliament to resolve individual complaints between financial businesses and their customers. We can look into problems involving most types of money matters - from payday loans to pensions, pet insurance to PPI. If we decide someone's been treated unfairly, we have legal powers to put things right.