{"id":17665,"date":"2025-06-18T10:53:31","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T14:53:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/?post_type=is-it-scam&#038;p=17665"},"modified":"2025-06-06T10:58:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T14:58:53","slug":"is-zelle-a-scam","status":"publish","type":"is-it-scam","link":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/is-it-scam\/is-zelle-a-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Zelle a Scam?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#what-is-zelle\">What Is Zelle?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#is-zelle-a-scam\">Is Zelle a Scam?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#so-should-you-use-zelle\">So, Should You Use Zelle?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-to-use-zelle-safely-and-privately\">How to Use Zelle Safely and Privately\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re thinking of using Zelle, you need to know: Is Zelle a scam?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below, we explain whether Zelle is a scam and discuss some steps you can take to improve your safety when using this platform.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-zelle\">What Is Zelle?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Zelle provides bank-based peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is operated by Early Warning Services (a private financial services company), owned by seven major US banks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Zelle, you can send and receive money using your bank account, usually just with an email address or mobile phone number.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"527\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelle_1_optimized-1024x527.png\" alt=\"Zelle\" class=\"wp-image-17666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelle_1_optimized-1024x527.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelle_1_optimized-300x154.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelle_1_optimized-768x395.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelle_1_optimized.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>No separate app is needed. Zelle works via most bank apps (you can see a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zellepay.com\/get-started\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">complete list of participating banks here<\/a>). Transfers typically go through in minutes, provided both you and the recipient are enrolled in Zelle.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are usually no fees with Zelle (i.e., Zelle doesn\u2019t charge any fees, and neither do most banks for letting you use this service).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s often used for sending money to other individuals for scenarios like splitting dinner, paying rent, or paying back a friend. Once sent, transfers are typically irreversible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zelle is available in the US only.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Until early 2025, Zelle had a standalone app. It has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zellepay.com\/faq\/ive-heard-theres-change-zeller-app-what-happening\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">now been discontinued<\/a>. To use Zelle, you need to enroll at a bank\/credit union offering it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"is-zelle-a-scam\">Is Zelle a Scam?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No, Zelle is not a scam. It\u2019s a legitimate digital payment network popular in the US.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It gets fairly positive reviews from third-party sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.pcmag.com\/personal-finance\/93699\/zelle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a PCMag review<\/a> of Zelle from 2020 gives the service a rating of 4.0 out of 5.0 (\u201cExcellent\u201d). A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/reviews\/zelle-money-transfer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TechRadar <\/a>review from the same year gives Zelle a rating of 3.5 out of 5.0.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zelle gets mixed reviews from users:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1.1 out of 5.0 stars (from 1,044 reviews) on <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.trustpilot.com\/review\/zellepay.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trustpilot<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4.1 out of 5.0 stars (from 161,817 reviews) on <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.zellepay.zelle&amp;hl=en_GB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Play<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4.8 out of 5.0 stars (from 599,136 reviews) on the <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/zelle\/id1260755201\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">App Store<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1.5 out of 5.0 stars (from 557 reviews) on <a href=\"https:\/\/zelle-pay.pissedconsumer.com\/review.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pissed Consumer<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>On online forums like Reddit, most people report having had a positive experience with Zelle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/Banking\/comments\/1gn4ydh\/why_is_zelle_so_bad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">One person said<\/a>:<em> \u201cI have been using zelle through my banking app for years to send money to my wife for bills every payday. It&#8217;s never taken more than a couple of minutes to transfer to her account.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"743\" height=\"137\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelleredditpositive.png\" alt=\"Positive Reddit comment about Zelle \" class=\"wp-image-17667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelleredditpositive.png 743w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelleredditpositive-300x55.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/zelle\/comments\/1i6qi29\/is_zelle_even_worth_using_anymore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">some posts<\/a> from people saying their money \u201cvanished\u201d and that they were locked out of their accounts when using Zelle.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"501\" height=\"107\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelleredditnegative.png\" alt=\"Negative Reddit comment about Zelle\" class=\"wp-image-17668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelleredditnegative.png 501w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zelleredditnegative-300x64.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 501px) 100vw, 501px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Zelle has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/zelle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">its own subreddit<\/a> where users can post questions, answers, and experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Zelle has several security measures in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, it uses bank-level encryption and sends money directly between linked bank accounts, reducing the risk of account hacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Participating banks typically use tools to flag suspicious activity and may offer fingerprint or facial recognition security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, no account numbers are shared. As per JPMorgan Chase\u2019s (one of the banks that participate in Zelle) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chase.com\/personal\/zelle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website<\/a>, when you use Zelle, the recipient won\u2019t see your account number (you won\u2019t see theirs, either).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellesecurity-1024x113.png\" alt=\"Zelle security \" class=\"wp-image-17669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellesecurity-1024x113.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellesecurity-300x33.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellesecurity-768x85.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellesecurity.png 1190w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can\u2019t cancel a Zelle transfer. This means it\u2019s on you to make sure that the details (e.g., recipient, sum of money, etc.) you\u2019ve entered are correct and that the person you\u2019re sending the money to is legitimate and will not try to scam you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re buying something from someone online, and you\u2019re not 100% sure about the person, you may want to use another payment method, like a credit card, so you have recourse in case things go wrong and you don\u2019t get your product\/service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Bank of America (one of the banks participating in Zelle) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bankofamerica.com\/online-banking\/zelle-faqs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">says<\/a>, <em>\u201cNeither Bank of America nor Zelle\u00ae offers a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"84\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankdisclaimer-1024x84.png\" alt=\"Zelle bank disclaimer &quot;Zelle should only be used to send money to friends, family or others you trust.&quot; \" class=\"wp-image-17670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankdisclaimer-1024x84.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankdisclaimer-300x24.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankdisclaimer-768x63.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankdisclaimer.png 1398w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is one of the reasons why the money expert Clark Howard <a href=\"https:\/\/clark.com\/personal-finance-credit\/banks-banking\/zelle-things-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">does not like Zelle<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a criminal gains access to your account, the bank typically restores your funds. Howard says, <em>\u201cBut the banks are tying people\u2019s accounts into Zelle, because their interpretation of the law is they don\u2019t have to do that and for any fraud that occurs, it\u2019s just too bad, so sad.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A 2024 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/personal-finance\/banking\/zelle-accused-of-leaving-customers-vulnerable-to-widespread-fraud-lawsuit-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">(CFPB) lawsuit<\/a> alleged that Zelle skipped important safety features when developing the app. The lawsuit also said hundreds of thousands of people who filed fraud complaints were told to contact fraudsters themselves. Over seven years, customers reportedly lost more than $870 million due to these failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The CFPB has since <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/cfpb-zelle-trump-wells-fargo-jpmorgan-chase-c70332d2b16d733e9c4e72622d4c25f9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dropped the suit<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can imagine, scammers love Zelle. There are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/zelle\/comments\/1kgk2or\/is_this_a_zelle_scam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">countless reports<\/a> from people online about their encounters with Zelle scams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"749\" height=\"727\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellescam.png\" alt=\"Zelle scam example on Reddit\" class=\"wp-image-17671\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellescam.png 749w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellescam-300x291.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 749px) 100vw, 749px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Things are so bad that JPMorgan Chase has <a href=\"https:\/\/static.chasecdn.com\/content\/dam\/legal-agreements\/library\/en\/chasenet_la\/versions\/chasenet_la.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a new policy<\/a> that says it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/personal-finance\/banking\/chase-bank-is-now-blocking-some-zelle-charges-heres-how-you-send-money-instead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">can block Zelle transactions<\/a>, which it thinks come from social media, to protect customers from scammers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Privacy&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Zelle\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zellepay.com\/legal\/legal-and-privacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">privacy policy<\/a> only applies to its app, which has been discontinued as of 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should refer to your financial institution&#8217;s privacy policy if you use Zelle through online banking or mobile banking apps.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"158\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankprivacynotice-1024x158.png\" alt=\"&quot;If you use Zelle through your mobile banking app or online banking, please refer to your financial institution's privacy notice.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-17672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankprivacynotice-1024x158.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankprivacynotice-300x46.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankprivacynotice-768x119.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankprivacynotice-1536x237.png 1536w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/zellebankprivacynotice.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"so-should-you-use-zelle\">So, Should You Use Zelle?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Probably, but only to send money to people you know and trust.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The money expert Clark Howard also recommends using Zelle with a separate checking account that has a small amount of money in it. That way, you won\u2019t lose all your money if you\u2019re compromised.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-use-zelle-safely-and-privately\">How to Use Zelle Safely and Privately&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Only send money to people you trust. <\/strong>Zelle is meant for transacting with family, friends, and other people you know well. Once you make a transaction, you can\u2019t cancel it.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Double-check transaction details. <\/strong>Verify recipient details and the amount of money you\u2019re sending. You can\u2019t typically reverse Zelle transactions.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t click on any suspicious links. <\/strong>Only use Zelle through your bank\u2019s app and avoid clicking on links in texts and emails claiming to be from Zelle.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Secure your phone. <\/strong>Use a strong passcode and keep your phone\u2019s OS and apps up-to-date.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t respond to \u201curgent\u201d requests. <\/strong>Scammers often pretend to be from your bank or Zelle, and often use urgency to get you to do something, like \u201csend money to verify your identity.\u201d Your bank will never make these kinds of requests.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA). <\/strong>Most banks offer 2FA, and it\u2019s always a good idea to turn it on for an added layer of protection in case your password is ever leaked.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use secure networks. <\/strong>Never check financial data or make financial transactions over unsecured networks like public WiFi.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check transaction history. <\/strong>Review your financial transactions periodically to spot suspicious activity early.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Delete the Zelle app. <\/strong>Now that the Zelle app has been discontinued, make sure to delete it from your phone.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our guide to whether Zelle is a scam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":17666,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-17665","is-it-scam","type-is-it-scam","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/is-it-scam\/17665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/is-it-scam"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/is-it-scam"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}