Safe Money Transfers Using: Zelle

1. Types of Scams Targeting Zelle Users
2. How to Beat Zelle Scams
3. Protection Against Zelle Scams

Zelle is a U.S.-based payment network owned by Bank of America, BB&T, Wells Fargo, US Bank, Capital One, and JPMorgan Chase. Zelle allows users of the app that have a bank account with one of the member banks to send payments to any other Zelle app user that also has an account with one of the banks without any fees. Since the Zelle member banks account for a large percentage of U.S. bank accounts, Zelle has become a popular, convenient way to send money—it is now Venmo's main competitor and, unfortunately, a target of scammers.

If you have an account with one of the member banks, getting started with Zelle is easy. It is already built into thousands of banking apps. People who don't have access to the Zelle app in their banking app can download the Zelle app from either the iPhone App Store or Google Play.

Contact Details

Zelle

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• General Enquiries
• Report Fraud

Phone: 1-844-428-8542
Website: https://www.zellepay.com/
Contact page: https://www.zellepay.com/support/contact

Phone: 1-844-428-8542
Contact page: https://www.zellepay.com/support/scam

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Verified Contact Details

It's important to verify links and contact details to beat imposters.

Types of Scams Targeting Zelle Users

Scammers will use many techniques to trick you out of your hard-earned money. Here are some of the widespread scams that target Zelle users.

Zelle Bank Impersonation Scam

For this scam, the scammer will need your cell phone number and your bank account number, which they most likely got through a data breach. They will call you on the phone claiming to be from the fraud department of your bank. The caller ID may even show the call is from your bank—a trick called call spoofing.

The caller will say that fraud was detected on your account, and they are calling to help you take care of any fraudulent charges. The caller will ask you to open up your banking app and enter a verification code. But what the scammer is actually doing is signing up for a Zelle account using your details. The verification code will give the Zelle app on the scammer's phone access to your account, and the scammer will empty your account.

Zelle Cash Flipping Scam

In this scam, known as cash flipping, the scammer will tell you they can get great returns on your money in a very short time. For example, the scammer will claim that your money could double or triple if you send it using Zelle right away. However, as soon as you transfer the money, it is gone, and you will see no returns.

Zelle Online Purchase Scam

In this scam, the scammer will offer tickets, puppies, or another product in an online marketplace. One common place is Craigslist because creating a new ad is simple and can be anonymous. When you email or message the seller about purchasing the item, the seller will ask that you pay them using Zelle.

Since Zelle is a legitimate payment service, you are happy to do so. What could go wrong? The scammer then never sends you the item and takes off with your money, taking advantage of the fact that all payments using Zelle are final.

Zelle Fake Charity Scam

This is a simple scheme that scammers use to prey on people who donate to charities. They will set up a fake website or social media profile and ask for donations, only accepting payments using Zelle. Any donations made go straight into the scammer's pocket, and the fake charity will disappear from the internet within a few days.

How to Beat Zelle Scams

The best way to prevent yourself from falling victim to a Zelle scam is by protecting your accounts and knowing the red flags of fraud. Here are some tips:

• Sign up for alerts from your bank: Sign up for text or email alerts for any activity on your bank accounts, so you can catch any fraud early and stop it.
• Don't use Zelle to make payments to people you don't know: Once you send a payment through Zelle, you cannot get it back. Zelle can be used to send payments to people you know but is not recommended for online purchases or sending money to people you don't know.
• Be suspicious of phone calls and emails regarding your Zelle account: Don't trust phone calls and emails where you are required to use Zelle. Never click on a link in an email that claims to be about your Zelle account.
• Use multifactor authentication on your financial accounts: This will add another layer of protection to your accounts so that scammers can't access your account even if they have your login credentials.
• Use strong passwords on your financial accounts: This is a must in today's internet landscape. Always use a strong password in your accounts that are only used once and change them often.

Protection Against Zelle Scams

If you have fallen victim to a Zelle scam or have been contacted by a scammer, here are some things you can do.

Contact Your Bank

If a hacker has gained access to your bank account and made a payment through Zelle, that is fraud, and you should report that to your bank right away. Your bank will identify all the fraudulent charges and stop any future fraudulent payments from your account. In most cases of fraud, you will get your money back. You should also call Zelle at 1-844-428-8542 to report the unauthorized transaction.

If you authorized a Zelle payment yourself to purchase a product or service you never received, you might not get your money back. But you should still contact your bank and give them the details of the scam to see if there is anything that can be done.

Report the Scam to Zelle

If you have been scammed out of money using Zelle, report the scam to Zelle. Zelle has an online form to report scams. They categorize scams as merchandise, property, jobs, imposter, charity, investment, and romance. Have all your details ready, because the form is extensive. They will report the incident to the affected banks to prevent the same thing from happening to anyone else.

Report it to Authorities

If you've fallen victim to a Zelle scam, report it to the authorities, like:

• Your local police
• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• The FBI

Although they may not help you get your money back, reporting Zelle scams to the authorities can help them catch the culprits.