Is This Zelle Request a Scam? What to Know and Do

Zelle moves money in minutes, so a scammer wants you to act fast. Here is how to spot the trick and what Zelle says to do next.

Someone is pressing you to send money through Zelle. The FTC says mobile payment apps can be a convenient way to send and receive money with your smartphone. The FTC says scammers may try to use mobile payment apps to steal your money.

What a Zelle scam is

A Zelle scam is any trick that gets you to send a payment yourself. You are not being hacked. You are being talked into pressing send. Zelle's page says money goes directly into the enrolled recipient's bank account.

Why scammers use Zelle

Zelle's page says you can send money from your account to someone else's within minutes. A scammer loves that. Zelle's safety page says to only send money to people you trust. A stranger pushing you to pay by Zelle fails that test on its face.

Is there a Zelle scam going on right now?

Got an email asking for a Zelle payment? Treat it as a scam until you check with a source you trust, found on your own. Do not reply to the message or use a phone number printed in it.

Fraud vs. scam: the difference Zelle points out

Zelle's page says there may be differences in the protections available to you between fraud and scams. Describe exactly what took place when you contact your financial institution.

What Zelle says to do if you spot suspicious activity

Zelle's page says if you detect suspicious activity, contact your financial institution directly. Use the number on your card or your bank's official website. Do not use any contact details the suspicious message gave you.

How to report a Zelle scam

Start with your bank or credit union, since Zelle runs through your account. Tell them what happened and that you were scammed into sending the payment. Zelle's page says payment requests can only be sent to enrolled Zelle users. Both parties must have an eligible checking or savings account to send or receive money with Zelle.

The urgency playbook is not unique to Zelle. A venmo scam uses a different payment app. An email scam PayPal message is another payment request to check before you pay. Some tricks arrive on paper instead, like an IRS scam mail letter or a social security scam by mail note. The app changes. The pressure to pay right now does not.

If you already sent the money, call your bank directly and say plainly what happened.