What Is A Western Union Money Flip?

A Western Union money flip is a type of scam where the scammer promises to give you a (usually unrealistically) high return if you send your money to them. They ask you to send the money through Western Union and hence the name. Of course, once you have sent them your money you will never hear from them again.

The scammers use social media to lure new victims into this old get-rich-quick scam. They advertise ways to turn $100 into $1,000, for example, by ‘flipping money’. The pitch suggests you can take advantage of so-called quirks in the financial system to turn a few hundred dollars into thousands. Once con artists have access to your cash, they will block you from contacting them via social media or phone number. Having sent the money freely you have no real legal recourse since there is no contract or other proof of why the money was sent.