After someone dies, the world doesn’t pause. You may still be answering texts, choosing a date for a service, and trying to eat something small when an email alert pops up: a transfer confirmation, a password reset request, a “new device signed in” notice. For many families, that’s when a quiet worry arrives alongside grief—especially if your loved one used a money-transfer service.
Western Union can be part of everyday life in a very normal way: helping a parent support family abroad, sending money to a student, paying a bill, or using a profile to store frequent receivers and payment methods. If the deceased had a My WU profile, that account may include contact details, transaction history, and potentially saved cards. Closing the profile is not about “erasing” someone—it’s about reducing risk and keeping the estate process clean.
This guide walks you through what to do if you have access, what to prepare if you need help from Western Union, and how to lower fraud risk during the estate process. Along the way, you’ll also find gentle next-step resources from Funeral.com, because these account tasks rarely happen in isolation. They happen in the same week you’re ordering death certificates, notifying family, and trying to breathe.
Why Western Union deserves a place on your “digital accounts” list
Money-transfer platforms are designed for speed and convenience. That convenience is helpful when someone is alive, but it can become a vulnerability after death—especially if the email address or phone number connected to the profile is still active and reachable by others. Even if there’s no money sitting in an account, a profile can contain personal information and transaction patterns that scammers try to exploit.
In the first week, it helps to think in two tracks: memorial decisions and practical protection. Funeral planning can feel like the center of everything, but the background tasks are real too—closing digital accounts, stopping autopay surprises, and reducing identity-theft risk. If you want a broader checklist for modern logins, start with Funeral.com’s guide on digital accounts after a death, then come back here for the Western Union-specific steps.
First, secure the email and phone tied to the My WU profile
Before you try to close anything, secure the “keys” that control access. For most services, that means the email address and the phone number used for sign-in and two-factor codes. If you have lawful access to the deceased person’s phone or email, your first goal is to reduce the chance that someone else can reset passwords or intercept verification codes.
Practical steps that often help: update the email password, update the phone carrier PIN if you can, and turn on stronger account security (like a recovery email controlled by the estate representative). If you are unsure how to approach access and permissions, Funeral.com’s closing accounts and subscriptions after a death guide is a reassuring place to start building a master list and documenting what you find.
Even if you cannot access Western Union right away, securing email and phone reduces the chance of unauthorized transfers or phishing attempts that appear “official.” In grief, it’s easy to click quickly. Slowing down here is a form of protection.
If you have login access: what to do inside the account
If you can sign in safely, you may be able to reduce risk immediately, even before you formally request closure. The goal is not to “manage” the account long-term, but to confirm there are no pending transfers, remove saved payment methods if they exist, and document what you need for the estate file.
Review recent activity and look for anything time-sensitive
Start by scanning transfer history for anything that looks unusual: new receivers, transfers you don’t recognize, or activity shortly after the death. If something seems wrong, take screenshots for your records before changing anything. If a transfer is pending or you suspect fraud, use Western Union’s official support routes rather than replying to emails or clicking links that arrived unexpectedly. Western Union publishes official contact options on its Contact Us page, including chat and phone support. Keep your communications on official channels.
Remove saved payment methods and reduce stored personal data
Families often ask about “saved cards” because it feels like the most immediate financial risk. If the account has stored payment methods, remove them where possible. Western Union provides account and profile settings through its logged-in settings experience; if you’re already signed in, you can navigate to the profile settings area from the account menu. (This link may prompt you to log in first: Western Union account settings.)
As you do this, keep careful notes. Write down what you removed, the date, and why. That paper trail helps later if a bank asks questions or if there is a dispute.
Preserve what you may need for the estate process
In many estates, the most valuable thing is not “the account,” but the documentation: receipts, transfer confirmations, and a clear record of what was paid and to whom. If your loved one used Western Union to support family members, those transfers may matter for budgeting, final bills, or simply understanding household finances. Save what you need and store it securely.
If you’re sorting financial accounts more broadly—banks, cards, loans—Funeral.com’s notifying banks after a death checklist can help you gather the documents most institutions request and the questions that keep calls shorter and calmer.
If you do not have login access: how to request closure and protect the profile
Many families don’t have passwords, and that’s common. When you don’t have access, your job becomes simpler in one way: don’t guess, don’t force, and don’t use unofficial “how-to-delete” posts that ask for sensitive details. Instead, work through Western Union’s official privacy and support channels and be ready with documentation that proves authority.
What to prepare before contacting Western Union
Every company’s process differs, but these are the items that most support teams ask for when dealing with a deceased customer’s account:
- A certified copy of the death certificate (or multiple copies, since many institutions require originals).
- Proof of your authority (for example, letters testamentary, letters of administration, or other court documentation showing you are the executor/administrator).
- The identifying details you do have: the full name on the account, the email or phone number associated with the profile, and any My WU number if it’s available from paperwork or emails.
If you are still in the earliest days and everything feels like a blur, it can help to ground yourself with a simple order of operations. Funeral.com’s first 48 hours checklist is written for families who are trying to make steady choices while time feels distorted.
Use Western Union’s official privacy contact options for deletion/requests
For U.S. consumers, Western Union’s published privacy notice includes specific ways to contact its privacy office—by email and by submitting a data privacy request form. The Western Union U.S. Consumer Privacy Statement lists a privacy email address and a “Data Privacy Request Form” option. Many families use these routes when requesting deletion, limiting sharing, or handling personal-data concerns related to a deceased loved one.
Here are the official pathways described in that notice: emailing the Western Union privacy office (wuprivacy@westernunion.com) and submitting the form through Western Union’s Data Privacy Request portal. When you submit a request, keep a copy of what you sent and note the date. If you receive a case number, store it with the estate paperwork.
For general customer support, Western Union also publishes multiple contact options on its Contact Us page, including phone and chat support. If you are asked to provide documents, confirm you are on an official Western Union domain before uploading anything.
What to say when you contact support
Support interactions go more smoothly when your message is short, direct, and specific about what you want. You can describe the situation as: “I am the executor/administrator for a deceased customer. I need to close the My WU profile and secure any stored personal information or payment methods. Please tell me the documentation required and the process to proceed.”
If you are not the court-appointed representative but you are handling immediate tasks for the family, you can still ask what is possible, but be prepared for Western Union to limit what it can share until authority is verified. That is frustrating, but it is also part of privacy protection.
Fraud prevention during the estate process: practical steps that reduce risk
Scammers pay attention to timing. Obituaries, social posts, and even mail forwarding can tip them off that a household is vulnerable. That doesn’t mean you should live in fear—it means you should take a few protective steps that make fraud harder.
Start with the basics: don’t respond to unexpected messages that claim a transfer is “stuck” or that you must “verify” the deceased person’s identity urgently. When in doubt, go directly to an official page you type yourself, like Western Union’s Contact Us page, and ask support to confirm whether anything is pending.
Next, think broader than one account. In the U.S., government guidance reminds families to notify agencies and close or transfer accounts after a death. USA.gov’s page on agencies to notify when someone dies explains that you’ll often need the Social Security number and certified death certificates as you work through these steps.
If you suspect identity theft, use official consumer-protection resources. The Federal Trade Commission explains how to report identity theft and start recovery steps. Even if you never need to file a report, knowing the official pathway can reduce panic if something feels off.
How this fits into funeral planning and the larger “after-death” checklist
It can feel strange to talk about account closures alongside memorial planning, but families do it every day. You may be choosing flowers, reading texts from relatives, and then spending an hour on hold with a customer-care line. None of that means you are grieving “wrong.” It means you are carrying real responsibilities in real time.
If you’re trying to orient yourself in the bigger picture—what to do first, what can wait, what needs a death certificate—Funeral.com’s resources are designed to meet you where you are. Start with the first 48 hours checklist if the death is recent, then use the digital accounts closure checklist to track logins like Western Union, and lean on the estate planning basics guide if you are stepping into an executor role and need plain-language clarity about probate and authority.
And if you need a final reassurance: you don’t have to do every task this week. You only need to reduce immediate risk and create a paper trail. Securing email and phone access, documenting suspicious activity, removing saved cards when possible, and requesting closure through official channels are meaningful steps. They protect your loved one’s information and protect your family’s peace.
A gentle closing note
Closing a money-transfer profile can feel like one more sharp, practical reminder that someone is gone. If that hits hard, that’s normal. Try to take these steps in small blocks of time, and give yourself permission to stop when your mind starts to blur.
When you’re ready, keep your process simple: protect access, document what you find, use official Western Union channels to request closure, and file your confirmations with the estate paperwork. That is what “doing it right” usually looks like in real life—steady, careful, and human.
