The remittance trust trap: Revealing hidden vulnerabilities

For innumerable workers laboring abroad, international remittances are crucial financial conduits to family members and communities back home. But many senders across the globe share real-world challenges and personal vulnerabilities that can often jeopardize the sustainability of these crucial money flows. Chubb’s 2025 report on the state of global remittances explores the risks faced by senders and receivers – and identifies solutions for making this vast and important financial ecosystem safer.
THE REPORT

Key findings

Chubb’s global remittances report, rooted in a survey of more than 3,500 people in six countries, reveals that workers – especially foreign and gig workers – face a complex set of risks that can disrupt the flow of money and have devastating financial consequences for themselves and their families. Among the report’s key findings:

Foreign and gig workers
exhibit the highest levels of vulnerability across all regions surveyed.
97% of foreign and gig workers
in the U.S. say they could not sustain their living expenses for more than three months if they lost their primary income source.
The U.S. and Spain
emerge as the least vulnerable markets overall in the survey.
34% of remittance senders
around the globe report having been victims of online fraud or cybercrime.
Nearly half of remittance senders
in the U.K. describe their financial situation as merely “coping” – and say the high cost of housing contributes to their economic vulnerability.
REMITTANCE STORIES

Our findings are brought to life through profiles of three fictional workers whose personal stories illustrate many of the challenges that remittance senders face – and how they can be emboldened and empowered.

Priya

A 32-year-old Indian nurse living in East London who uses a mobile app to send money to her mother and younger siblings in Delhi

Mateo

A 45-year-old construction worker from the Philippines who diligently wires a portion of his weekly wages to his wife and children in Manila from his temporary home in Dubai

Elena

A 38-year-old Mexican entrepreneur who runs a small online craft business in Madrid and sends money to her parents and extended family in Oaxaca

Inside the report

How and why senders are making their choices

The report thoroughly examines the interrelated factors that influence the decision-making process of remittance senders, including:  

  • Frequency of international transfers
  • Methods of sending money
  • Key factors influencing their selection of a remittance provider  

What worries our survey respondents most

Remittance senders around the globe face an interconnected web of economic, social and technological risks that threaten the security of their transactions, including:  

  • Income volatility and housing costs
  • Limited access to bank accounts and social safety nets
  • Susceptibility to online fraud and scams

 

What remittance senders and receivers are seeking in protection

The report identifies tailored, affordable and accessible insurance as one of several solutions for decreasing risk and increasing confidence. Among other facets, it looks at: 

  • The influence of insurance options on remittance service usage and trust 
  • The relative attractiveness of various coverages to different sender groups

A new, Chubb-designed tool for analyzing risk

The SMVI offers an innovative, data-driven approach to understanding the multifaceted challenges faced by remittance senders by observing them through three critical lenses:

  • Economic vulnerability
  • Social vulnerability
  • Technological vulnerability

Download the full report

Get the full story. Download the full report now and find out:

  • Why a country’s high level of wealth doesn’t necessarily translate into financial security for gig workers and foreign workers 
  • Why senders who express the highest confidence that their remittances are reaching intended recipients safely may actually be among the most vulnerable  
  • How close collaboration between remittance companies, insurers, civil policymakers and senders themselves can safeguard the international flow of funds  

Ready to partner?

If you’re ready to grow your business with embedded insurance, the next steps are easy. Get in touch with us and we’ll show you a demo of how we can enhance your business. We’ll work together to find the best solutions for you and your customers, then have you up and running quickly.