In the USA, sending a wire transfer is usually $15-$20, and some banks charge $20 to receive a wire transfer.
Will note that there are banks that offer sending and receiving wires for free.
Then they do a three-way call between the parties and the banks to verify the transaction.
Same. That said, if your transaction history is sketchy (e.g. large cash withdrawals following international wires) or the wire is coming from or going to a high-risk place, e.g. Russia or Turkey, your bank may opt to do this as an anti-fraud / anti-money laundering measure.