Did you receive money on Zelle from an unknown account?
Are you curious about what you should do in that case?
Well, if you are finding answers to the questions, you are at the right place.
Here we will be including a guide where you will know what should be done if someone sends you money on Zelle.
So, let’s start without any further delay.
Solutions – “Someone accidentally sent me money on Zelle”
Zelle is one of the most used payments platforms in the USA. One can use Zelle integrated with their mobile banking app or use it as a standalone app.
Zelle lets its users transfer funds from one account to another just by entering the registered phone number or email number of other Zelle users.
Well, the popularity of the app has also attracted a lot of scammers on the platform. And these scammers play different tricks to earn money in unethical ways.
Sometimes, you won’t even realize, but you might be getting tricked already. Scammers take advantage of the lack of knowledge and awareness to play the tricks.
Well, there is one query that a lot of users ask about. Zelle users ask, “Someone accidentally sent me money on Zelle – what to do?” And we will be answering the question here. And it is important to know the correct details as it might be a potential scam.
We will try to make you aware of the scam along with a solution to the issues. So, make sure to check out all the details mentioned below.
ALSO READ: Can I send Money to Myself with Zelle
What’s the scam?
Before jumping on to the solutions, we will make you understand the scam in very simple language.
You should know that it is possible to get the money back even if a user has approved the transaction. To do this, one just has to contact the bank and dispute a charge.
And if the amount included is a significant one, the bank will try its best to refund the money back by debiting it from the recipient account.
The scammers take advantage of this feature. They will ask you to return the accidentally sent amount. And even after you return the money, they will dispute a charge.
And with that bank debits the amount from your account. So, you will be returning double the amount you received ‘accidentally.’
Hope you understood what the scam is all about.
Solutions –
#1 Understanding the situation
First of all, you need to understand the whole scenario. The person who sent you the money could have sent the money mistakenly or on purpose.
But why would someone send you money on purpose?
Well, it could be a fraud. And if the amount included is a significant one, it is a scam for sure.
You have to reach a conclusion and proceed accordingly.
For instance, if a random account has sent you $1000. We assure you it is a scam. It is very unlikely that someone will send you $1000 accidentally.
But, if the amount involved is relatively lower. Like $10 or even $100, it might be possible that someone accidentally sent the amount.
MUST-SEE: Why is my Zelle Account Suspended
#2 Do not return money ‘if‘
Now, after reaching a conclusion, you will have to take your first action.
You have two options – send the money back 0r keep it and talk to the bank.
And you are allowed to return the amount if you know the person and even if the amount is too low.
If the amount included is significant, we highly suggest you talk to your bank about these issues. Make your bank understand the situation and provide them with every required detail.
Do not return the money without evaluating the account and the funds included.
#3 Block the user
If someone is making a claim that they sent you money on Zelle by mistake, it might be a scam. But, if the user is asking you to send the money back, again and again. They are just making obvious signals that it is part of their trick.
And a case like that, it is best to block the person from contacting you.
If you are getting disturbed by the calls, make sure to block the number from your phone app settings. It also ensures that you do not get disturbed by the same number again in the future.
And after you are done blocking, you can proceed with the next step.
#4 Contact your Bank & Zelle
Well, right after you receive the amount and block the random person. You will have to contact your bank.
It is necessary to let your bank know about this situation. With that, they will know before what is about to happen. And they will safely remove the amount from your account.
And do not worry; you will not be penalized in any way as you were just minding your own business and chilling on your couch when all of that happened.
To contact your bank, you can reach out to the official website of the bank. Find an official email address or phone number.
And in case you find it hard to contact the bank, you can try reaching out to them on their official Twitter handle.
Sometimes, your bank may ask you to contact Zelle. You will be expected to acknowledge the Zelle support team about the same.
And that’s it.
That’s all you need to do to get yourself out of this situation unaffected.
If you have any queries on the same, let us know in the comments section below.
What happens if you Zelle the wrong person?
If you Zelle the wrong person, they will receive the funds instantly, like any other wire transfer. And you will not be able to cancel the transaction. But, there are several ways using which you can get your money back, like Disputing a Charge or Chargeback and others.
We have covered the solution in a dedicated post. Make sure to check out the post.
READ NOW: “I sent money to the wrong person on Zelle” – What to do?
FAQs
1. Someone sent me money on Zelle, what should I do?
When someone sends you money on Zelle, even by mistake, you must not return it. Instead of that, you must contact your back, letting them know about your situation. Bank will help you return the money without getting affected anyway.
2. If someone accidentally sends you money on Zelle do you have to give it back?
If the person, who sent you the money, is known to you. There is no need to keep their money if they have sent it by mistake. But, if a random person sent you a significant amount, you should give it back yourself. It is a matter of concern because someone is trying to fool you.
You should contact your bank immediately to help you out with returning the money safely.
Final Words
And here we are done with the quick guide – “Someone accidentally sent me money on Zelle. What to do?”
Along with that, we have tried our best to explain the popular Zelle scam.
We hope we have made things simple for you.
But, if not, let us know your queries in the comments section below.
Further Reading:
Why is my Zelle Account Suspended
“I sent money to the wrong person on Zelle” – What to do?
What Prepaid Cards work with Zelle (2021)
Why did my Zelle payment fail? What happens next?
Ankit Kumar is an Engineer by profession and a blogger by passion. Over the last several years, he has written tons of articles, solving queries on Quora. He also has years of experience in investing in Cryptocurrencies, Funds, and Stocks.