LONDON, Aug. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Wirex Limited, the UK-headquartered payments provider, has today published its H1 2026 Transparency Report, offering a data-rich view of how they protect customers, tackle financial crime, and strengthen trust through measurable accountability. The company disclosed that it had prevented nearly £450,000 from being lost to scams, and blocked £225,000 in suspected criminal funds, between January and June 2026.
This is the second edition of a voluntary disclosure that Wirex Limited began in January 2026. In a sector where trust is paramount, the firm publishes its financial crime and customer-outcome data, including areas for improvement, rather than the generalised assurances common across the industry.
The release comes following reports that financial crime within the UK, and especially fraud, is increasing and becoming highly sophisticated: UK Finance members reported £1.28 billion in fraud losses in 2025, whilst the UK National Crime Agency estimates that over £100 billion is laundered annually.
As part of its comprehensive strategy to maintain platform security, protect customer funds and uphold a compliance-first culture, Wirex's UK operations so far in 2026 include nearly 250 fraud-prevention interventions, over 180 suspicious activity reports (SARs) filed with the National Crime Agency, and a large reduction in the number of customer complaints.
Other key highlights include:
- 52 law enforcement requests supported in live investigations.
- 42% fewer complaints in H1 2026 vs. H2 2025, with 67% fewer cases referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service over that period.
- 246 sophisticated prevention rules running simultaneously across various platforms.
- £14,009 was the largest fraudulent transaction prevented from affecting a single person.
- 25% reduction in number of SARs filed in H1 2026 vs. H1 2025 following analyst training and direct NCA feedback.
AI is increasingly central to how Wirex Limited detects that activity. AI-assisted analysis flagged a cross-border mule network in H1, prompting a new detection rule to catch similar cases earlier. This style of approach to AI in compliance helped Wirex Limited win the International Compliance Association's AI Compliance Solution of the Year award.
Chetan Shah, CEO of Wirex Limited, said: "Protecting our customers and guarding the integrity of the UK's financial system is of utmost priority, especially as our transaction volumes grow. The data proves we're making an impact, but we recognise more can always be done. Investment scams dominate, often originating on social media, and only reach Wirex once the customer is already under pressure. Big Tech, social media, telecoms and messaging platforms must be held accountable for the harm they help cause."
The report also highlighted the integration of two internally built platforms to further assist with financial crime prevention in the coming months. This includes Sentinel, a self-contained AML case review and reporting tool, and Tradecraft - training analysts against AI-generated criminal scenarios. Shah expects both to contribute towards preventing criminal activity impacting the firm.
To read the full report, visit this link.
Notes to editors:
About Wirex Limited's Transparency Report
The data contributing to this report was sourced through multiple systems and covers the period from 1st January 2026 until 30th June 2026. Wirex Limited's 2025 report can be found here.
About Wirex Limited
Wirex Limited is a UK-based FCA regulated Electronic Money Institution. It offers secure payment methods, making it easy for users to store, purchase, and exchange multiple currencies seamlessly. As a principal member of both Visa and Mastercard, Wirex Limited goes beyond traditional services, embracing the evolving trends of Web3 to provide mainstream access to digital finance and wealth management. Wirex Limited is simplifying digital payments, making it more accessible and convenient for people.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wirex-limited-h1-2026-transparency-report-over-650k-in-fincrime-stopped-across-7-million-transactions-302855204.html
