I sent a stranger money through Zelle by mistake. How do I undo it?
When Maura Ruzhnikov sends money to a stranger by mistake on Zelle, she tries to undo the transaction. That’s easier said than done. Will she ever get her money back?
Question
I accidentally transferred $3,825 to the wrong person through Zelle via First Republic Bank. I entered the wrong email address.
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The person who received the deposit was initially going to send it back, but his bank advised him against this since he does not know me. He asked me to file a claim with Zelle.
The stranger now claims the money is being “held” by Zelle. He told me to contact them, but a Zelle representative told me that is not possible and I must go through their bank partners.
I tried going to a local branch of the recipient’s bank, who advised me to file a police report and said they could not help me as I am not the account holder with their bank.
I filed a police report and I have filed two separate claims with my bank explaining all of this and that the person who received the deposit seems willing to return it, but at this point I have no idea where the funds are. I communicated with my bank earlier this month and a representative promised an update by the end of the day, but I haven’t heard back since. Can you help me get my money back? — Maura Ruzhnikov, Great Falls, Va.
Answer
I’m sorry for all the trouble you experienced. But the stranger did the right thing.
The reason? Sending money to someone you don’t know is one of the biggest Zelle scams. Here’s how it works: A criminal will create a Zelle account and link it to a stolen credit card. Then the scammer uses Zelle to send payments to a stranger. The sender asks for a refund but then swaps out the stolen credit card for a real one and receives your money. The person with the stolen card then disputes the charge — meaning you lose the amount you paid back.
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Pretty clever, huh?
Zelle is a peer-to-peer payment system, so the money is transferred directly from your bank to the recipient’s bank. Each participating bank has a dispute process, and I asked about your situation, but your bank would not tell me who had the money and when. In the end, it doesn’t really matter — it’s your money and you’re entitled to it. If necessary, you could have petitioned a small claims court for a refund, and you would have received it.
But working your way through the system — however painful it may have been — was the right move. I outline the ways to get your money back in my guide to getting your money back from a Zelle scam or accidental money transfer. It looks like you followed the steps I recommended but still fell short. I would have leaned on your bank for a resolution, since you are using Zelle through the bank.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can’t. He’s the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes weekly columns for King Features Syndicate, USA Today, Forbes and the Washington Post. He also publishes Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service and the Elliott Report, a consumer news site. If you have a consumer problem you can’t solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter. This article originally appeared on Chriselliotts.com under the headline, I sent a stranger money through Zelle by mistake. How do I undo it?
