ICU Nurse Loses $300 in Zelle Marketplace Scam After Fake Email Spoofs Payment Hold
Updated
Updated · The Big Lead · Jun 22
ICU Nurse Loses $300 in Zelle Marketplace Scam After Fake Email Spoofs Payment Hold
2 articles · Updated · The Big Lead · Jun 22
Summary
$300 vanished after ICU nurse Mike sent money to a supposed Facebook Marketplace buyer who claimed a Zelle payment was frozen and needed a refund to release $600.
A fake Zelle email in his spam folder reinforced the scam, and Mike said he acted while mowing in 90-degree heat and doubting the request only after sending the transfer.
Zelle later told him it would never require a user to send money to receive money, and the scammer brushed off his demand for a refund and threat to call police.
The scheme mirrors a common overpayment or "business upgrade" fraud on peer-to-peer apps; the FTC estimated Zelle fraud claims at four big U.S. banks rose by $165 million from 2021 to 2022.
Facebook warns against using Zelle for Marketplace deals and instead recommends payment methods with buyer and seller protections, because third-party transfers are typically irreversible.