Who: The CFPB takes complaints about banks and financial services.
When to use: Use for problems with your bank, Zelle, or other transfer services.
What to prepare:
- Bank or app name
- Dates and amounts
- What happened
Go to CFPB complaint portal~10 min
Category: Financial & banking
Bank, Zelle & transfer scams
Most reportedImportant
Never send money back to someone who claims they paid you by mistake. The "payment" is often fake; your refund is real and goes to the scammer.
How it often plays out
A stranger messages Rachel: “I accidentally Zelle’d you $400. Please send it back to this number.” She sends $400. Later she finds the original “payment” was a fake notification or a stolen account—real money went out of her account, and the “refund” went straight to the scammer.
How to spot it
Common red flags: pressure to act immediately, requests for payment by gift card or wire, offers that seem too good to be true, or unsolicited requests for your personal or financial details.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Contact your bank or payment app immediately to report fraud.
- Save transaction details, dates, and any messages or phone numbers.
- Report to the CFPB and your bank; for theft, also consider local police and IC3.
Don't
- Send money back to someone who claims they paid you by mistake.
- Trust a screenshot or notification as proof of payment.
- Give verification codes or account access to anyone.
Summary & what to do
Scammers trick you into sending money via your bank, Zelle, wire, or other transfers. Act quickly to protect your account and report to the right place.
What to do right now
- Contact your bank or payment app immediately to report fraud and protect your account.
- Save transaction details, dates, and any messages or phone numbers.
- Report to the CFPB and your bank. For theft or fraud, also consider local police and IC3.
Where to report
Who: The FBI's IC3 handles internet-related financial fraud.
When to use: Use when the scam involved an app, website, or online transfer.
What to prepare:
- How you sent money
- Recipient details
- Screenshots
Go to IC3~10 min
Frequently asked questions
- I sent money via Zelle to a scammer. Can I get it back?
- Zelle and similar apps often do not offer the same fraud protections as credit cards. Contact your bank immediately and report to the CFPB and IC3. Recovery is not guaranteed, but reporting helps investigations.
- Someone I don't know sent me money and wants it back. What do I do?
- Do not send it back. It may be a stolen account or fake payment. Contact your bank and report the situation. Do not wire or send money to the requester.