What is Zelle?
Zelle is an app that allows users to transfer money between banks, usually within minutes. It is really easy and quite fast. With the app, anyone can send money to a receiver’s phone number or email address. That’s one of the reasons it’s really popular among scammers as well.
Did you know every 1 in 6 response is a scam on Facebook Marketplace? Yes, recent research has proved this fact.
Can someone really scam you through Zelle on Facebook Marketplace?
Scammers out there are always finding new ways to scam users out of their money. In recent times, Zelle users payment scams have been increasing constantly. Scammers target Zelle users on Facebook and try to scam them; they even try to hack their devices. We will explain some of the most common methods that scammers use, such as overpayment scams, fake check scams, impersonation scams, and phishing scams. We will explain how these scams work, what the red flags are that you should watch out for, and how you can avoid these scammers.
These are some of the most common scams.
- Overpayment scams
- Fake check scams
- Impersonation scams
- Phishing scams
Overpayment scams by using Zelle
Overpayment scams are one of the most common scams we see on the Zelle platform. It is also very effective. It goes like this: When you list your product for sale on Facebook or any social media platform, someone will offer to buy it, and they will offer to use Zelle as a payment method. When you agree, they will send too much and claim that it was a mistake. They will politely ask you to refund the money. When you do that, their initial payment gets reversed or canceled, and the money you send them as a refund is gone for good.
So let’s talk about how you can protect yourself from Zelle overpayment scams on Zelle.
- Always accept the exact amount that you agreed on for the product.
- Never send any money back before confirming that the initial payment has cleared.
- Try to avoid buying requests from fake accounts, and always be cautious when dealing with strangers in online transactions.
Fake check scams by using Zelle
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book, yet it still works with some people. A fake check scam is when a buyer offers to buy your listing product and sends a check for a larger amount via Zelle, then asks you to refund the excess. The check might appear to clear, but it will eventually bounce, and you will have to pay the full amount of money.
This is how you protect yourself from Zelle fake check scams.
- Do not return any extra money until the check has completely cleared. (It might even take several days.)
- You should always verify any checks you get, especially if they’re on a large mount.
- Always be skeptical of any offers that you get that involve receiving checks for your product.
Impersonating scammers by using Zelle
Sometimes, scammers may even pose as friends, family members, or businesses you trust, like your insurance company or your bank, and they might request transactions via Zelle. This kind of scam usually happens through hacked or compromised accounts, and their request might even appear legit. But you need to contact your friends and family members through phone calls or any other ways before you actually send them money. And you also need to remember that your bank or insurance company will never ask for your private details over email.
This is how you protect yourself from Zelle impersonating scammers.
- Never send any money or any private details over email. Verify the person before you give them anything.
- Contact your friends and family members through phone calls or any other trusted way before you accept their money request.
Phishing scams by using Zelle
Even though phishing scams is one of the most common ways of online fraud today, people still get effected from it. It is pretty common on Zelle as well. In a phishing scam you will probably get an email or a text which will look like it’s from Zelle and it will ask you for your private info or your account login by clicking a link. Scammers then will use these info to hack your account and still your money. They might even hack your device as you click on their link.
This is how you protect yourself from Zelle Phishing scams.
- Zella don’t ask for any sensitive information through email or text. So if you receive such request, be highly suspicious.
- You should contact your bank or Zelle’s customer support if you have any dought.
- Make sure to check the sender’s email address or phone number and if it’s legit before you click any link attached to it.
Conclusion
You as a sellers should protect yourselves from Zelle scams on Facebook Marketplace By keeping an eye out for obvious signs and confirming emails and payments. If you stay aware of these scams and take steps to protect yourself you should be safe from most scams. And if you ever have any drought or any problem you can always reach out to through their customer support and get help or report an account if you need to.
