Guides
- What Is Jury Duty and How Does the Jury Selection Process Work?
- What Is a Verdict and What Happens After a Jury Delivers a Guilty or Not Guilty Decision?
- Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours, Complaint Laws, and How to File a Noise Complaint
- What Is Harboring a Fugitive and What Are the Penalties and Jail Time for It?
- Are Written or Verbal Contracts Legally Binding and When Should You Use Each?
- When Your Driving License Can Be Revoked and What You Can Do About It?
- What Are the Hunting Laws and Permits by State in the USA?
- Is Drunk Driving a Felony, What’s the Punishment, and How Many People Die From It?
- What is Domestic Abuse vs. Domestic Violence, and What Are the Differences?
- What is a Roommate Agreement, What Are the Benefits, and What Should You Include?
- What is Public Indecency, and What Are the Laws, Charges, and Penalties?
- What Are the Pocket Knives Laws, Legal Lengths, and Rules for Illegal Types?
- What is Aiding and Abetting and What Are the Punishments and Charges for It?
- Where Can You Be Naked in Public and Celebrate National Nude Day?
- What Is Child Custody and How to File for It Without an Attorney
- What to Do if Someone Has Stolen Your Driver's License Number and How to Replace It
- What is Bail Jumping: Punishments and Jail Time for Failure to Appear in Court
- Dating a Minor: Is It Legal and What Is the Age of Consent?
- How to Conduct a Dating Profile Search and Find Someone on a Dating Site
- What is Personally Identifiable Information and Why is PII Protection Important?
- What Is a No-Fault Divorce, When Did It Start and Why It Can Be Bad
- The Differences Between Moving And Non-Moving Violations
- What are Aggravating and Mitigating Factors in a Criminal Case?
- What Is ADR: Process, Meaning And Examples
- Definition and Differences Between Conspiracy Theories and Conspiracy Charge
- How to Get a Divorce: Process, Stages and Required Papers
- Embezzlement as a White-Collar Crime: Definition, Meaning, and Examples
- What Is a Car Registration, How Much Does It Cost and How to Get One?
- Types of Email Archiving and How to Retrieve Them
- How to Protect Your Car From Theft or Report It Stolen
- How to Organize and Protect Your Personal Documents?
- How to Find and Reconnect With Old Friends: Proven Techniques That Work
- Business Records: Types, Examples and How to Search
- Right to Privacy: Is It Protected By The Constitution?
- Ownership and Tenancy in Severalty in Real Estate
- What Different Types of Marriages Are There?
- Should You Believe in Age Gap Rules Calculation
- What Is Driver’s License Status and How To Check It
- What Is Civil Marriage: Pros and Cons
- Top 5 Most Famous Serial Killers Of All Times
- What Was The Subprime Mortgage Crisis
- Most Famous Murder Cases Throughout History
- The Dynamics and Consequences of Ghosting Someone in Personal Relationships
- What is Incarceration? Definition, Process, and Impact
- What is A Mortgage-Backed Security (MBS)
- Is AI Dangerous? Unveiling the Risks of Artificial Intelligence
- What is a VPN?
- 7 Cybersecurity Threats to Look Out For
- What Are Debtors and Creditors, and What Are Their Legal Rights and Differences?
- What Are the Types of Business Ownership and How Can You Transfer It?
- What is a Tax Lien, How Does It Work & How to Stop One?
- What is the Difference Between Civil and Criminal Cases?
- Property Ownership Types You Should Know About
- Community Safety Initiatives: How to Make Your Neighborhood Safer
- What is a Lien and How Lien Priority Works?
- Campus Safety 101: Essential Tips for a Secure College Life
- How to Know If Someone Is Divorced?
- What are the CCPA and CPRA?
- How to Get Over a Breakup?
- U.S. Violent Crime Definition & Statistics
- The 5 Steps You Should Know When Adopting a Child
- What Is Criminal Profiling and Is It Really Effective?
- A Full Guide on Reasonable Suspicion vs Probable Cause
- What Is Email Encryption & How to Encrypt an Email?
- What is a White Collar Crime? A Full Guide
- Rental Scams: How Do They Work & How to Catch Scammers?
- A Complete Guide on Parole vs Probation
- How to Submit a Data Removal Request and Hide Results About You on Google Search
- A Full Guide on House Arrests
- A Complete Guide on Marriage and Civil Union
- How to Safeguard Yourself and Deal with Marriage Debt
- What is Eyewitness Testimony?
- A Full Guide on Gentrification: Why is it a Problem?
- 8 Most Dangerous Twitter Scams and How to Avoid Them
- Pretexting Attacks: Common Types and How to Deal with Them
- How Do Zelle Scams Work and Things to Look Out For
- What Is Business Email Compromise, How to Defend Against It?
- What Is a Wellness Check, What Does It Consist of and How to Call For It?
- What Is a Temporary Restraining Order and How Do You Get One?
- What is Smishing And How to Prevent it?
- Spam Emails: Types and Ways to Block Them
- Email Masking & Masked Email Addresses
- Spot a Fake QR Code & Avoid Getting Scammed
- Common NFT Scams to Look Out For & Ways to Avoid the Fake Ones
- What to Do If You Witness a Crime?
- What Is Skip Tracing and How Does It Work?
- How to Avoid Common Venmo Scams and Protect Yourself From Scammers
- Can You Get Child Custody If You Have a Criminal Record?
- Common Amazon Scams and Ways on How to Avoid Them
- How to Find Liens on a Property?
- Multiple Bankruptcies: How Often You Can File One?
- How to Adopt a Child in the US?
- I Lost My Birth Certificate. What Should I Do?
- Warning Signs of Job Scams and How to Protect Yourself
- What Is a Ban the Box Law?
- What is Expungement?
- How to Transfer Property After Death Without Will
- What Is a Police Blotter?
- How to Appeal a Parking Ticket
- What Is a Clean Driving Record, How It Affects Insurance and How to Keep It Clean
- What is Title Washing?
- What is Extortion?
- How To Run a Motorcycle Title Search
- What Is a Digital Footprint?
- What is Anti Money Laundering (AML)?
- Guide on How to Get a Death Certificate
- What is the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)?
- What is Multi Factor Authentication?
- What is a Citizen's Arrest?
- How to Know that You’re in an Obsessive Relationship
- Guide to Online Survey Scams
- 13 Different Types of Police Officers
- Full Guide on Work-from-Home Scams
- Is Private Browsing Really Private?
- Different Types of Felony Classes & Charges
- What is Juice Jacking?
- What are Romance Scams?
- Traffic Offenses and Violations
- What is Doxing and How to Prevent it?
- What are Spam Text Messages
- The U.S. Death Penalty: History and Modern Usage
- What Are the Different Types of Bankruptcies and Which One Is Right for You?
- Common eBay Scams to be Aware of
- What Happens When You are Booked in Jail?
- What Information Can You Get From A License Plate
- Different Types of Assets
- How to Search and Find Family Members and Relatives Who Are Long Lost?
- Car History Guide, Benefits, Importance
- Am I Dating a Stalker?
- How to Find out if Your Partner is Cheating
- What Are the Types and Tools of Packet Sniffing Attacks?
- Intellectual Property Law and Rights
- Cyberstalking And Its Dangers
- A Guide to Phishing Scams
- What is Organized Crime?
- I’ve Lost My Driver’s License: What Should I Do?
- Misdemeanor Charges: Types, Classes, and Penalties
- A Complete Guide On Catfishing
- Vanity Phone Numbers: Why They Are Important and How to Get One
- What Happens When You Get Arrested
- Guide to Find Information About a Person Online
- How To Find And Claim Unclaimed Money
- What Happens if You Violate Probation
- Guide on How to Remove a Mugshot from the Internet
- How to Stay Safe on Public WiFi
- What Is an Outstanding Warrant and How Can You Check if You Have One?
- Different Types of Car Insurance
- What Is Cyptojacking?
- What Is Email Security?
- What Is the Deep Web and What Can Be Found There?
- What Happens When You Declare Bankruptcy
- How Divorce Settlements are Calculated
- What are Common Methods of Social Engineering
- What is the Difference Between a General Lien and a Specific Lien?
- How to Detect Odometer Rollback
- Different Types of Probation
- Finding forgotten life insurance policies
- What is Bearer Bond and Why the US Banned it
- Everything you need to know about small claims court
- Moral Turpitude: Definition, Examples, and Much More!
- Misdemeanor vs Felony
- How to Read a VIN Number and What It Tells You
- How to Find Out Who Hacked Your Cell Phone
- How Long Does a Misdemeanor Stay On Your Criminal Record?
- The Paypal Phishing Scam You Should Care to Avoid
- How Many Different Types of State License Plates Are There and Which Is the Standard One?
- Effects of Cyberbullying: Complete Guide for Parents
- What is the DPPA?
- Is Petty Theft a Misdemeanor and What Are the Consequences?
- What is a Life Sentence? Life in Prison
- Find out How to Check if Someone Has a Warrant Online for Free
- Is a Marriage Certificate the Same as a Marriage License and What Are the Differences?
- The Ten Most Popular Celebrity Mugshots
- How to Find Out if Someone is Married?
- How to Stop Phone Number Spoofing?
- How To Avoid Probate
- Dealing with abandoned vehicles in your neighborhood
- How to Find Someone's Cell Phone Number by Their Name
- Who Are the Worst Drivers in America?
- How To Find Unclaimed Money From Deceased Relatives
- What is a Digital License Plate?
- How to Find out if Someone Died?
- Murder vs Manslaughter: The Differences and Definitions
- How to Hire a Private Investigator?
- What Is a Number Neighbor?
- How to Find Out if Someone was Arrested
- How to Find Someone's Birthday?
- What is a Car Title
- How to Obtain a Police Report and Court Records?
- What is the Punishment for Filing a False Police Report?
- Prison Valley: Look inside Prison Town
- How to Get Custody of a Child Without Going to Court?
- How to Find Someone’s Social Media Profiles?
- What to Do if Your Phone Is Tapped?
- What Is a Deed in Real Estate?
- Where Was The First US Federal Penitentiary Established?
- Can You Track Someone's Location with Just a Phone Number?
- What Is a Restricted Phone Call and How to Block The Number?
- Who is the Most Dangerous Prisoner in the World?
- Poshmark Scams: How to Prevent and Report Them
- What to Do When Someone Is Missing: Practical Steps on How to Find a Missing Person
- How to Send Money to an Inmate in a Prison or Jail
- DUI vs DWI: The Difference Between DUI and DWI
- How Long After Buying a Car Do You Need to Register it?
- How to Find Someone's Address?
- What is an Ignition Interlock Device?
- What Is Situational Crime Prevention?
- How Can I Find Out Who Called Me for Free?
- Gun Free Zone Statistics and Facts
- Online Threats and Digital Security: Trends, Types and Most Common Examples
- Cold Cases: Best Practices For Police Officers and Investigators
- Court Order: Definition, Types and Examples
- What Does a Fingerprint Background Report Show?
- How to Check Your Criminal Record?
- What is Tort Law?
- How to Calculate Child Support
- Property Rights: Definition, and Characteristics
- 12 Common Reasons for Public Records Request
- What is Antitrust Law?
- Virginia Gun Confiscation Law
- Ways to Know Who Owns a House
- Neighborhood Watch Program
- How to Perform a Mugshot Search?
- Crime Mapping
- Safest Colleges in Florida
- Veterans Guide to Cars and Driving
- U.S. Correctional System: Structure, Incarceration and Facts
- License Plate Laws in the US
- How to Find Out If Someone Is in Jail?
- Email Hacking: Laws, Penalties and Protection
- Romeo and Juliet Laws
- Holiday Safety for Home and Family
- Differences between Criminal and Arrest Records
- Public Records and Property History: What is Public Information and What Isn’t
- How to Look up Immigration Inmates?
- Famous Prisons in the USA
- How to Find the Registered Owner of the Vehicle for Free?
- How to Search for Your Family Tree?
- The Federal Judicial Center
- Mass Incarceration in the USA
- What is COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)?
- Data Safety After The Capital One Breach
- Scholarships Guide for Students
- Complete Guide to Student Safety
- What Is a Vehicle Identification Number?
- Determining Divorce: 5 Types of Divorce You Must Know
- Sex Offenders: Complete Guide to be Protected
- New Privacy Laws and Public Records
- Motor Vehicle Registration in the US
- Digital Token Age: Security Laws and Regulations
- Facial Recognition Technology and Legal Restrictions
- What Shows up in a Background Report
- What is Repossession of a Car?
- Protecting Yourself from Phone Scams
- Human Rights in the Prison
- What are Business Competition Laws?
- What is a Hate Crime?
- Starting a Business and Business Licenses
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Guidance
- Criminal Justice Reform
- Tax Reform Impact and Changes To Know
- Self-Driving Cars: Laws and Regulations
- White-Collar Crime: Statistics and Facts
- Have You Been Arrested? Cases You'll Need a Lawyer
- How to Get a Driver's License in the US
- Car Theft in the US: Statistics and Facts
- Identity Theft Passport Program
- Changing your Name after Marriage: What You Need to Know
- Finding the Perfect Roommate: Dos and Donts
- What to Do in a Car Accident?
- Property Crimes: How to Burglar Proof Your Home
- Consumer Laws in the US: What Do They Mean for a Customer and a Business Owner
- Child Trafficking: The Scope, Understanding, and Prevention
- Business Assets: A Guide to the Financial Health of your Business
- Guide To The College Application: How, When and Where to Apply
- Which States Have “Stand Your Ground” Laws?
- Adolescent Depression Symptoms and Causes
- Things to Know About the U.S. State Department Travel Advisory System
- Inheritance in the US: With & Without a Will
- Online Dating Safety Guide for Men and Women
- Sexual Abuse in the U.S.: Laws and Statistics
- Supporting Children After Divorce: Child Custody Options
- Halloween Horrors Come to Life: Holidays Crimes in the U.S.
- Charity Scams in the U.S.: Be Aware and Protected
- Webcam Hacking & Spying in the US
- Freedom of Religion in the U.S.
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- Catcalling: Is it illegal? How to Deal With It
- A Complete Guide To Insurance Fraud: Common Types and Prevention
- Sextortion: What to Do if You Became a Victim of Blackmailing
- Concealed Carry: How to Protect Yourself on Campus
- Debt Collection Laws | Fair Debt Collection Act: What You Need To Know
- How Much Is My House Worth? Ultimate Guide to Home Buying and Selling
- Traits of Sociopaths, Are They Dangerous and How to Deal With Them?
- Who Are Your Neighbors and How to Find Out About Them
- Learn How to Find Your Birth Parents
- The Importance of Public Records in Law
- What's The Difference Between a Jail And a Prison?
- Homeowner's Insurance Coverage & Common Claims
- The Disturbing Facts of Gun Violence in America
- How to Use Public Records in Marketing
- Best & Worst Cities for Driving
- LGBT Bullying
- A Parent's Guide to Keeping Your Child Drug-Free
- What You Need to Know When Buying or Selling a Used Car
- Guide to Filing for Bankruptcy
- Making Your DMV Experience Fast And Easy
- How to Appeal the Court's Decision
- How to Fight a Traffic Ticket?
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- How to Protect Yourself Against Cyber Attacks
- How to Report a Crime?
- Keeping Your Neighborhood Safe For Your Family
- School Safety and Security Standards
- 50 Things to Know When Filing for Divorce
- Tips for Back-to-School Safety and Security
- A User's Guide to Warrants
- What to Do When You Are Stopped By the Police
How Do Zelle Scams Work and Things to Look Out For
Zelle scams are tricks designed to take control of your Zelle money transfer account or to get you to send money to an attacker's account without realizing it. Zelle fraud is highly effective because Zelle transfers are instant and can't be reversed. Learning about the common Zelle scams and how to avoid them is an excellent way to begin protecting yourself from these increasingly common attacks.
What are Zelle Scams
If you're familiar with the money transfer solution Zelle, you'll know how convenient it is to use to move money from one location to another. Zelle scams take advantage of how rapidly money can be moved using the service. These scams are conducted through text messages, email, and over the phone. Scammers will attempt to convince you that you're talking with Zelle representatives or that they are doing you a favor in some way while actually taking money from you in many different ways.
Common Zelle Scams to Look Out For
Scams with Zelle are becoming increasingly common. If you use Zelle, you are at risk of losing your money if you aren't careful. Learn about the most common Zelle email scams, as well as scams over text and phone, so you know how to avoid them.
Money Mule Scams
One of the most common Zelle fraud attacks used today is known as a Money Mule scam. In this scam, the attacker tells the victim they have qualified for a high-paying work-from-home job. They're going to earn loads of money with a simple job. To get started with the job, they'll have to pay for some starting equipment by transferring money. They will be asked for their Zelle account information or asked to make a one-time transfer to get the tools they need to start working.
Money Mule scams are never legitimate, and fortunately, they are easy to detect. If anyone ever asks you to pay money to start working, you should immediately see that as a scam. You will never have to pay for your own equipment to do a job. Don't give away your Zelle account information, and if you receive one of these emails, you should report it to the authorities and avoid giving any details about yourself away.
Zelle Transfers to Yourself
While many Zelle scams use email, this one is often conducted over the phone. The scammer will call his victim and explain that a recent Zelle transaction has been completed from the account for $500, $700, or any other random amount of money. The attacker asks you if you authorized the transaction, and when you say no, they move on to phase 2 of the attack.
The attacker then says, your account is being drained by a hacker, and you need to move your money to safety. They created a new Zelle account using the victim's name but their phone number. They ask you to send a Zelle transfer to an account with your name on it so you feel like you're sending money to yourself. What you don't realize is that you're sending money straight to the attacker. In an effort to get you to protect all your funds, you're asked to send all your money over. When you do this, you're giving all your funds to a hacker, and you won't get them back!
Zelle will never ask you to transfer money to yourself, and you should always pay close attention to the phone number associated with any Zelle account you use. If the phone number isn't the same as yours, it isn't your account. Never give away Zelle details, and never initiate Zelle transfers to someone you don't know.
Account Upgrade Scams
Many people are dealing with Facebook marketplace Zelle scams like the account upgrade scam that is currently going around. In this scam, the attacker looks for people selling expensive items on the Facebook marketplace. They state they want to buy your item and that they will pay using Zelle.
The attacker then creates a fake email confirmation that says they paid you for the item. They spoof the email, so it looks as if it's coming from Zelle. The attacker then sends a follow-up email explaining that you can't collect the payment money from the user because they are using a Zelle business account and you don't have a Zelle business account. To upgrade the account, you must spend around $300. These Zelle business account scams are convincing and highly effective.
The buyer says they will send an extra $300 to you to help you cover the cost of the upgrade if you're willing to refund them the money after. They then send you a fake email confirmation showing the extra Zelle transfer to your account, you refund them the money, and you lose out on the refund money without ever getting anything from the attacker.
Impersonators of Banks
One of the most effective types of Zelle scams is a bank impersonator scam. In these scams, an impersonator sends a very convincing text message asking you if you authorized a large payment to a randomly named person or business. The text gives you fixed response options that make you feel like you're receiving an automated alert.
When you reply to the text or you click a link provided in the message, you will be called by the scammer. If you aren't sure about a phone number, you can use this phone lookup service to verify a contact is who they claim to be before doing anything else. During the call, the bank impersonator will try and convince you that your account is compromised in some way and try to get you to transfer money to a spoofed Zelle account with your name on it. This account is owned by the attacker, and you'll lose any money you send to it.
Account Takeovers
Account takeovers are common Zelle scams by email, but they can also be conducted via text message. With these attacks, the hacker will send a fake email or text message that's meant to look official, like it's from Zelle. The message explains that your account has been breached and that you must reset your account password to protect it. You get a link to select and are taken to an official-looking website where you're asked to reset your password.
While attempting to reset your password, you'll be asked for the old password and your username. What you're actually doing instead of resetting your password is giving away your Zelle credentials to an attacker. The attacker will take your information, access your Zelle account, and change the password and the email associated with the account as fast as possible. Once your account is taken, the hacker can use it to make purchases, send your money to other accounts, and more.
Fake Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist Listings
Zelle scams on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are common and something to watch for each time you use these services. One of the most frequent scams used is the overpayment scam.
In this scam, the attacker offers to buy an item that you're selling and sends you a check for the item that exceeds the purchase price you're asking for. Often the check is larger by a few hundred dollars. The buyer asks you to deposit the check and quickly send them the overage amount through Zelle.
The check you deposited is a fake, and while the bank is verifying whether the check is real or not, you're being asked to give away your money instantly. This is a quick way to lose your money, but it's only a problem for people that agree to send money back to the buyer, which makes it a lower-risk scam than some of the others here.
How to Avoid Them
Zelle may be a free and nearly instant payment method that's useful for moving money around, but Zelle Scams could cost you big time if you aren't careful. The best way to protect yourself is to avoid entering your Zelle login credentials on anything but the official app or the official Zelle website. Never attempt to send money to yourself using Zelle, and send a small test amount to the person you're trying to reach before sending the full amount to verify it's going where it needs to.
You should also take the time to establish 2-factor authentication protection on your Zelle account. Having this protection in place will make it nearly impossible for an attacker to access your account without you allowing it.
Many Zelle attacks are conducted via email using phishing scams. You should learn how to avoid these scams at all costs in order to protect yourself effectively. Learn more about phishing scams, and you'll know just how to protect yourself from many internet attacks. You can also use this email lookup service to verify an email address is legitimate before you do business with it.
Keep Yourself Safe by Learning to Detect Zelle Scams
Zelle Scams are becoming more common each year. If you have a Zelle account you must take care to protect it effectively. Learning about the common scams is an excellent way to protect yourself, but you can arm yourself with help from RecordsFinder to verify people, businesses, email addresses, and more and avoid ever getting scammed again.