Consumer complaint received 2025-03-29 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem — 
Company: Early Warning Services, LLC
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
This statement provides the specific factual details regarding a disputed Zelle transaction, submitted in response to your letters dated XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX ( regarding CFPB complaints filed XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX, respectively ). Zelle indicated that my previous submissions lacked sufficient factual support and specific details about the transaction in question. I am now providing those details to facilitate a proper investigation and request a refund. 

Specific Transaction Details : - Transaction Number : XXXX - Date Sent : XX/XX/XXXX - Amount : {$500.00} - Sending Account : My XXXX XXXX XXXX account ( XXXX XXXX ending in ... XXXX ) - Recipient Phone Number : ( XXXX ) XXXX - Recipient Name ( as saved in my contacts ) : XXXX - Recipient 's Bank ( as informed by XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
- Transaction Status : Completed/ Accepted on XX/XX/XXXX ( See attached screenshot from original request ) Description of the Problem and Error : On XX/XX/XXXX, I initiated a {$500.00} payment via Zelle through my XXXX XXXX application. My intention was to send these funds to a specific contact named XXXX. However, I had two different contacts saved in my phone under the name " XXXX, '' each associated with a different phone number. 

At the time of this transaction ( XX/XX/XXXX ), the Zelle interface presented when initiating the payment primarily displayed the phone number selected. Crucially, it did not clearly display or require verification of the XXXXregistered name associated with the recipient phone number before finalizing the transfer. Due to this lack of clear recipient verification beyond the phone number within the sending flow, and having duplicate names in my contacts, I inadvertently selected the wrong " XXXX, '' sending the {$500.00} to phone number ( XXXX ) XXXX instead of my intended recipient. I do not recall adding this specific phone number ( XXXX ) to my contacts, and the recipient later confirmed they did not know me. 

This error was directly facilitated by the Zelle interface 's design at that time, which did not adequately safeguard against user error in situations involving duplicate contact names, relying heavily on the user correctly selecting the phone number without prominent display and confirmation of the actual account holder 's name tied to that number via Zelle registration. 

Actions Taken to Recover Funds : 1. Contacted Recipient : Upon realizing the error, I contacted the recipient at ( XXXX ) XXXX. The individual initially denied receiving the funds, then stated they had instructed their bank ( XXXX XXXX ) to reject incoming transfers ( which was false, as the transaction completed ). Subsequently, this individual blocked my phone number and XXXX communication, refusing to return the erroneously received {$500.00}. 

2. Contacted My Bank ( XXXX XXXX  : I filed a dispute with XXXX XXXX XXXX. They investigated and confirmed the transaction was successfully completed and the funds were deposited into the recipient 's XXXX XXXX account. XXXX informed me they could not reverse the transaction because it was authorized and successfully processed. They advised me to resolve it directly with the recipient, which was impossible due to their refusal and blocking. ( XXXX Case Reference, if available : [ Insert XXXX Claim XXXX if you have one ] ). 

3. Attempted Direct Zelle Support : At the time ( XX/XX/XXXX ), finding direct customer support channels through Zelle for this type of issue was difficult, leading me to focus on my bank.

4. Filed Police Report : Due to the recipient 's refusal to return funds they acknowledged were not intended for them, I contacted local law enforcement, but they were not able to help due to Zelle 's terms and conditions in which I'm responsible for transferring funds through the application in the first place.

5. Filed CFPB Complaints : As detailed above, I later filed complaints via the CFPB, which were rejected pending these specific details.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation