Consumer complaint received 2024-02-29
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Early Warning Services, LLC (TN)

This is a copy of the complaint filed with XXXX. I am filing this complaint against Zelle. the Zelle site stated to contact bank. I do not agree with the banks resolution. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I received an email from XXXX that XXXX XXXX XXXX was added as a contact to my Zelle account and to contact them If there was an issue. I have never used Zelle in the past and contacted XXXX immediately. The Zelle account is housed under my phone number and email. While on the phone I noticed another email from XXXX timed one minute after the first one received that a XXXX had been sent to this individual. I disputed this transaction and removed information for Zelle access and ordered new debit cards. While on the phone I received texts from XXXX where someone was also attempting to use our debit card numbers. These charges were flagged as suspicious by XXXX and declined. Once I arrived home I went to talk to my husband and found him on the phone with XXXX also disputing the XXXX withdrawal. We pieced it together and he had called a phone number for assistance with a small disputed transaction. This number and the charge were fraudulent. My husband is XXXX XXXX XXXX and when on the phone with the perpetrator he somehow allowed a screen share for assistance and Im not exactly sure what else happened but my spouse is a victim. Hes not sure how he allowed this person access to our accounts and debit card. While on the phone with the person the Zelle transfer immediately came out. My husband then realized he was a victim of fraud. He doesnt remember exactly what he did or didnt do. He is XXXX and on multiple medications and suffers from short term memory loss. He did tell me that the person he was talking to confused him and had him doing all sorts of things on the computer. I told the second XXXX rep this on the phone. I was told that this XXXX would be reported to the crime dept of XXXX and that someone would be in contact with us. No one called at all to discuss this. I called for an update today and was told that XXXX had ruled against us and that the dispute would not be reopened or appealed and was closed. They would not tell me why they determined this outcome other than we would receive a letter in the mail. Here are my concerns. 1. This was obviously cyber crime and elderly crime. Whether its legally considered fraud or a scam doesnt matter. My husband was targeted and victimized. 2. My account was not protected. From the time I was notified that a contact was added to the Zelle account to the withdrawal the lapsed time was one minute. Protections were not put in place. This transfer should have been flagged because the account had never had a Zelle transaction before and the amount of XXXX is excessive for this account leaving under XXXX in it. If there had been a hold placed on the withdrawal until XXXX had my consent that it was legitimate this would have been avoided. XXXX flagged the debit card transactions and declined them yet no such protections are in place for Zelle payments? I request the funds to be replaced. I did submit a fraud report to the FBI with the recipients name. 
Update XX/XX/XXXX XXXX contacted me today regarding this complaint. Per the representative because my husband authorized the transaction we are not entitled to any refund. I explained ( again ) how he was unaware of what the fraudulent person was asking him to do and that it was a mixture of screen sharing and coercion. He also had no clue what Zelle is. I cited his age and issues. I also explained ( again ) that as a first time Zelle transfer I should have been given adequate notice to stop the transaction. I should have been given more than one minute between the email that stated a name was added to Zelle and the issuance of payment. If flags were in place as they are for debit card transactions this could have been avoided. I also referenced an article that stated there would be security features in place for first time Zelle payments ( see pic ). I also stated that from my research Zelle has refunded fraud and scams on a case by case basis. I request that Zelle also be brought into the loop regarding this transaction. Also from my research it is possible to recover the funds from the recipient ( if fraud ). I again stated that their decision regarding this dispute is unsatisfactory. The agent I spoke with used the term fraud multiple times during our conversation which signifies that whether unknowingly authorized or unauthorized the transaction was the result of fraud. Please see the excerpt of the article attached concerning risky Zelle transfers. Where was the tool that would flag a risky transfer in this situation? Per the article the tool would have been implemented as a first time Zelle transfer and should have flagged it as risky. I have also attached the emails with the one minute lapse from the addition of a recipient to the withdrawal sent which illustrates that the tool / procedure that should have been in place per Zelle for a first time transaction was not. I again respectfully request reimbursement.