How to Send Money Safely with Zelle®

Zelle® is a fast, safe and easy way to send and receive money with people you trust, like your babysitter, coworkers, fellow PTA mom, or your son’s soccer coach. Whether you just enrolled with Zelle® or have been an active user for a while, there are a few tips you should always keep in mind to ensure you are being safe when ending money.

Only Send Money to People You Know and Trust

Money moves fast with Zelle®, directly from account to account within minutes.¹ So, it’s important you know and trust the people you’re sending money to. Why? Because you can’t cancel a payment once it’s been sent if the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle®. And if you send money to someone you don’t know for a product or service you might not receive (like paying for something in advance), you may not get your money back. Keep in mind that sending money with Zelle® is similar to handing someone cash.

Beware of Payment Scams

One example of a payment scam is buying event tickets at a price that seems too good to be true from a stranger and never receiving them. If the seller asks you to use Zelle® to purchase the tickets, you should refuse unless the seller is a person you personally know. Also, keep in mind that no one from City National Bank of Florida will ask you to send them money with Zelle® as a test or to send money to avoid a fraud event.²

 Staying Safe in a World of Scammers

How can you avoid being tricked? Always keep these tips front of mind:

• Never discuss account numbers, PINs, or other personal information with anyone who contacts you, even if they say they are from your bank or credit union.

• If the person claiming a problem with your account needs your account information, hang up and call the bank yourself.

• Don't call the number in a text, email, or voice mail. It will connect you directly with the scammers. Always look up the number online or review the number listed on your debit or credit card.

• Don't click on text message links from people you don't know, even if it’s pretending to be your bank or credit union. These links can be deceiving and direct you to a fraudulent site or expose your device to malware.

• Your bank or credit union will never ask you to send money to yourself (or anyone else)!

Treat Zelle® Like Cash

Did your friend change phone numbers recently? It’s easy for people to change their phone number or email address. When in doubt, contact your friend to verify the email or U.S. mobile number they used to enroll with Zelle® before you hit “Send.” Another good check point for ensuring you're paying the right person is to confirm the first name that is displayed for enrolled emails and U.S. mobile numbers.

If a person has already enrolled a U.S. mobile number or email address with Zelle®, you can’t cancel the transaction, so it’s important you get it right the first time.

 If you detect suspicious activity regarding Zelle®, hang up and contact your bank or credit union directly at the number listed on the back of your bank-issued debit card, in your banking app, or on their official website. To learn about other scams and ways to protect yourself, visit zellepay.com/pay-it-safe.

 Zelle® and the Zelle® marks are property of Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.

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¹ U.S. checking or Savings account required to use Zelle®. Transactions between enrolled consumers typically occur in minutes.

² Neither City National Bank of Florida nor Zelle® offers a protection program for authorized payments made with Zelle®. So, if you aren’t sure you will get what you paid for, you should use another payment method with purchase protection, such as a credit card.