{ "site": "https://paymentsfraud.org", "reviewed": "October 27, 2026", "scope": "U.S. educational guidance; not legal advice", "sources": { "ftcApps": { "name": "FTC · Mobile payment apps: avoiding scams", "url": "https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/mobile-payment-apps-how-avoid-scam-when-you-use-one", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "ftcHelp": { "name": "FTC · What to do if you were scammed", "url": "https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "recovery": { "name": "FTC · Refund and recovery scams", "url": "https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/refund-and-recovery-scams", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "bank": { "name": "FTC · Calls about fraud on your bank account", "url": "https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2024/06/got-call-about-fraud-activity-your-bank-account-it-could-be-scammer", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "shopping": { "name": "FTC · Online shopping", "url": "https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/online-shopping", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "tasks": { "name": "FTC · How to spot and avoid task scams", "url": "https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/08/how-spot-avoid-task-scams", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "romance": { "name": "FBI · Romance scams", "url": "https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/common-frauds-and-scams/romance-scams", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "investing": { "name": "SEC Investor.gov · Relationship investment scams", "url": "https://www.investor.gov/protect-your-investments/fraud/types-fraud/relationship-investment-scam", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "phishing": { "name": "CFPB · Requests to verify bank information", "url": "https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/i-received-an-email-from-my-bank-or-credit-union-asking-me-to-verify-my-account-information-what-should-i-do-en-999/", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "eft": { "name": "CFPB · Electronic Fund Transfers FAQs", "url": "https://www.consumerfinance.gov/compliance/compliance-resources/deposit-accounts-resources/electronic-fund-transfers/electronic-fund-transfers-faqs/", "kind": "Regulatory guidance" }, "complaint": { "name": "CFPB · Submit a complaint", "url": "https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/", "kind": "Official reporting" }, "zelle": { "name": "Zelle · Security", "url": "https://www.zelle.com/security", "kind": "Provider guidance" }, "zelleReport": { "name": "Zelle · Report fraud or a scam", "url": "https://www.zelle.com/support/report-scam", "kind": "Provider guidance" }, "cash": { "name": "Cash App · Security and reimbursement guidance", "url": "https://cash.app/security", "kind": "Provider guidance" }, "cashHelp": { "name": "Cash App · Contact support", "url": "https://cash.app/contact", "kind": "Official support" }, "venmo": { "name": "Venmo · Common scams", "url": "https://help.venmo.com/cs/articles/common-scams-on-venmo-vhel167", "kind": "Provider guidance" }, "venmoDispute": { "name": "Venmo · Opening a dispute", "url": "https://help.venmo.com/cs/articles/opening-a-dispute-vhel113", "kind": "Provider guidance" }, "paypal": { "name": "PayPal · Learn about scams", "url": "https://www.paypal.com/us/security/learn-about-scams", "kind": "Provider guidance" }, "apple": { "name": "Apple · Avoid Apple Cash scams", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/102461", "kind": "Provider guidance" }, "appleHelp": { "name": "Apple · Apple Cash transaction issues", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/117946", "kind": "Official support" }, "older": { "name": "CFPB · Protecting older adults from exploitation", "url": "https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/resources-for-older-adults/protecting-against-fraud/", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "moneySmart": { "name": "CFPB / FDIC · Money Smart for Older Adults", "url": "https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/resources-for-older-adults/money-smart-for-older-adults/", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "fiduciary": { "name": "CFPB · Managing someone else’s money", "url": "https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/managing-someone-elses-money/", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "passItOn": { "name": "FTC · Pass It On", "url": "https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/pass-it", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "bec": { "name": "FBI · Business email compromise", "url": "https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/common-frauds-and-scams/business-email-compromise", "kind": "Government guidance" }, "accountDefinition": { "name": "CFPB · Regulation E, definition of account", "url": "https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/regulations/1005/2/", "kind": "Regulatory text" }, "upgrade": { "name": "Zelle · Fake payment and account-upgrade scams", "url": "https://www.zelle.com/videos/how-avoid-online-marketplace-scam", "kind": "Provider guidance" }, "zelle2025": { "name": "Zelle · 2025 annual usage release, February 11, 2026", "url": "https://www.zelle.com/press-releases/zelle-posts-20-growth-12-trillion-sent-far-outpacing-consumer-spending-and-cementing", "kind": "Provider-reported data" }, "zelleData": { "name": "Zelle · Data center and reported incident measure", "url": "https://www.zelle.com/data-center", "kind": "Provider-reported data" } }, "paymentGuides": [ { "slug": "zelle", "name": "Zelle", "tag": "Bank-to-bank payments", "summary": "Know who you are paying. A familiar bank app does not verify a seller’s promises.", "before": [ "Confirm the recipient through a contact method you already trust.", "For an unfamiliar seller, consider a checkout method with eligible purchase protection.", "Pause if a caller tells you to move money to keep it safe." ], "protection": "Zelle says a payment to an enrolled recipient cannot be canceled after authorization. That is different from whether a fraud or scam claim may qualify for reimbursement. Ask your bank to review the facts; Zelle says certain imposter scams qualify.", "report": "Report a suspicious Zelle payment directly to the bank or credit union you used. Use your banking app or the number on your card. Explain who initiated the transfer and whether credentials were obtained by deception.", "support": "https://www.zelle.com/support/report-scam", "supportLabel": "Zelle reporting guidance", "sources": [ "zelle", "zelleReport" ], "related": [ "bank-impersonation", "marketplace", "account-takeover" ] }, { "slug": "cash-app", "name": "Cash App", "tag": "App-to-app payments", "summary": "Verify the person behind the $Cashtag, and treat pressure to pay as a reason to pause.", "before": [ "Check the recipient identifier carefully before confirming.", "Turn on Security Lock and review account alerts.", "Open support from the app or the official Cash App website." ], "protection": "Cash App says it investigates unauthorized-transfer claims and reimburses eligible claims. Eligibility depends on the circumstances. Cash App Card protections and personal payment claims are different; do not assume a card policy covers every transfer.", "report": "Use Cash App’s in-app support to report the payment and explain what happened. If a linked bank account or card was also affected, notify that institution. Keep the transaction reference and the support case number.", "support": "https://cash.app/contact", "supportLabel": "Official Cash App support", "sources": [ "cash", "cashHelp" ], "related": [ "task-jobs", "bank-impersonation", "recovery-scams" ] }, { "slug": "venmo", "name": "Venmo", "tag": "Personal and purchase payments", "summary": "A request can look familiar without coming from the person you think it does.", "before": [ "Verify unexpected requests with the person outside Venmo.", "Check the actual app activity rather than an emailed payment screenshot.", "For purchases, check eligibility and terms of Venmo Purchase Protection before paying." ], "protection": "Purchase payments and personal transfers are not interchangeable. Check the transaction’s type and current protection terms. A payment can later be reversed if its funding was unauthorized; an incoming balance alone is not proof of a safe transaction.", "report": "For many transactions, open the payment and select Need Help? to start a dispute. If that option is unavailable, use Venmo Support. Do not send a new payment to return an unexpected transfer; ask support to handle it.", "support": "https://help.venmo.com/cs/articles/opening-a-dispute-vhel113", "supportLabel": "Venmo dispute instructions", "sources": [ "venmo", "venmoDispute" ], "related": [ "accidental-payment", "marketplace", "friend-emergency" ] }, { "slug": "paypal", "name": "PayPal", "tag": "Personal transfers and checkout", "summary": "How you classify the payment matters, especially when buying from someone new.", "before": [ "Use the appropriate purchase checkout when buying goods or services.", "Check eligibility, exclusions, and current Purchase Protection terms.", "Check invoices inside your account; do not call a number in a suspicious invoice." ], "protection": "PayPal says Friends and Family payments are not eligible for Purchase Protection. Eligible Goods and Services payments may be covered, subject to terms. A payment marked as a purchase is not a guarantee that every loss will be reimbursed.", "report": "Open PayPal directly and use its Resolution Center or official support to report the problem. Describe whether you made the payment, someone else accessed your account, or a purchase was not fulfilled.", "support": "https://www.paypal.com/us/security", "supportLabel": "PayPal Security Center", "sources": [ "paypal" ], "related": [ "marketplace", "phishing", "friend-emergency" ] }, { "slug": "apple-cash", "name": "Apple Cash", "tag": "Person-to-person in Wallet", "summary": "Apple Cash transfers and Apple Pay card purchases are different payment types.", "before": [ "Use Apple Cash with people you know and trust.", "Pay attention to transaction warnings rather than following pressure to dismiss them.", "Confirm unfamiliar requests through a separate, trusted conversation." ], "protection": "Apple says an unaccepted, pending person-to-person payment can be canceled in Wallet. An accepted transfer is different. Apple Pay merchant card purchases follow the relevant card process; do not assume Apple Cash has the same purchase protections.", "report": "Check the transaction in Wallet. For a suspicious Apple Cash payment, contact an Apple Cash Specialist at Green Dot Bank through Apple’s official support route. Report unauthorized activity promptly.", "support": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/117946", "supportLabel": "Apple Cash transaction support", "sources": [ "apple", "appleHelp" ], "related": [ "friend-emergency", "accidental-payment", "phishing" ] }, { "slug": "bank-transfers", "name": "Bank transfers", "tag": "ACH and wire transfers", "summary": "Verify new payment instructions independently, even if the message looks like an existing conversation.", "before": [ "Call a known contact before paying changed account details.", "Be cautious with urgent instructions to move money to a new account.", "Check what kind of transfer you are making; ACH and wires are different." ], "protection": "Cancellation, recall, and error-resolution options vary with the transfer type and facts. A recall request does not ensure a return. Ask your bank which process applies and report suspected fraud immediately.", "report": "Contact your bank’s fraud team using its official app or the number on your card. Ask about stopping or recalling the transfer and preserve all instructions and references.", "support": "https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed", "supportLabel": "FTC transfer guidance", "sources": [ "ftcHelp", "bank" ], "related": [ "bank-impersonation", "romance-investment", "phishing" ] }, { "slug": "other-methods", "name": "Other payment methods", "tag": "Remittances, gift cards & crypto", "summary": "Identify exactly how the money moved before deciding where to report it.", "before": [ "Question requests to pay an unfamiliar person using gift cards or cryptocurrency.", "Verify remittance recipient details before sending.", "Do not pay another fee to release a refund or unlock promised earnings." ], "protection": "Methods have different cancellation and reporting routes. Keep the transfer receipt, gift-card receipt, or transaction hash. Avoid anyone promising guaranteed recovery in exchange for advance payment.", "report": "Contact the remittance service, card issuer, exchange, or wallet service through its official site as applicable. The FTC’s guide has payment-specific reporting steps. If identity information was exposed, also visit IdentityTheft.gov.", "support": "https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed", "supportLabel": "FTC payment-specific next steps", "sources": [ "ftcHelp", "recovery" ], "related": [ "recovery-scams", "task-jobs", "romance-investment" ] } ], "scamGuides": [ { "slug": "bank-impersonation", "category": "Impersonation", "title": "When the caller says they’re your bank", "summary": "A real concern about fraud can become the opening for a fake “safe account.”", "art": "phone", "read": "3 min", "example": "“This is the fraud team. Move your money now so we can protect it.”", "explain": "The caller turns fear into a payment instruction. A convincing name, account detail, or caller ID does not establish identity.", "flags": [ "An unexpected fraud warning followed by instructions to transfer money.", "Pressure to stay on the line, keep it secret, or ignore an app warning.", "Requests for a one-time code or access to your device." ], "action": "End the conversation. Open your bank app yourself or call the number on your card to check the claim. Do not use contact details supplied by the caller.", "after": "If you already acted, tell the bank exactly what the caller asked you to do and who initiated each payment.", "sources": [ "bank", "phishing" ] }, { "slug": "marketplace", "category": "Marketplace", "title": "Before you pay a marketplace seller", "summary": "An attractive listing is only the start. The payment request deserves its own check.", "art": "shop", "read": "3 min", "example": "“Pay me directly now to hold it. Use Friends and Family so there’s no fee.”", "explain": "A seller may use a low price or another interested buyer to rush you away from the marketplace’s checkout.", "flags": [ "An insistence on a personal transfer for a purchase.", "An unexplained move away from the platform’s messaging or payment tools.", "Payment screenshots offered instead of independently verifiable records." ], "action": "Check the seller and the platform’s protection terms. Consider a payment method with eligible purchase protection and keep the listing and messages.", "after": "If an item never arrives, use the provider’s purchase-dispute route when applicable and keep your transaction evidence.", "sources": [ "shopping", "paypal" ] }, { "slug": "accidental-payment", "category": "Payment requests", "title": "When someone asks you to send it back", "summary": "An unexpected incoming payment should be handled through the provider.", "art": "message", "read": "2 min", "example": "“I sent that to you by mistake. Please return it to this other account.”", "explain": "A separate outgoing payment can leave you exposed if the original transfer is later reversed.", "flags": [ "A stranger asks you to send a new payment.", "The proposed return goes to a different person or payment service.", "Urgency, guilt, or threats replace a support process." ], "action": "Do not spend the unexpected money or send a separate payment. Ask the provider to investigate and advise how to resolve the original transfer.", "after": "If you already sent money, report both transactions together and preserve the messages.", "sources": [ "venmo" ] }, { "slug": "friend-emergency", "category": "Impersonation", "title": "A familiar name with an urgent request", "summary": "A friend’s photo or a relative’s name does not authenticate an account.", "art": "message", "read": "2 min", "example": "“My phone is broken. Can you send money to this new account right away?”", "explain": "Someone can imitate a trusted contact and invent an emergency to shorten the time you have to verify.", "flags": [ "An unusual account or new number paired with a familiar identity.", "A reason you cannot speak to the person normally.", "Pressure to send before checking with anyone else." ], "action": "Reach the person using contact details you already had. Verify the request outside the conversation before paying.", "after": "Report the impersonating profile and notify your real contact so they can warn others.", "sources": [ "paypal", "ftcApps" ] }, { "slug": "phishing", "category": "Account security", "title": "The account alert that leads somewhere else", "summary": "A login page can look familiar and still belong to someone else.", "art": "lock", "read": "3 min", "example": "“Your account is restricted. Verify here to avoid losing access.”", "explain": "The message routes you to a look-alike page to capture passwords or verification codes.", "flags": [ "A link in an unexpected account alert.", "Requests to share a code, password, or recovery information.", "A domain that imitates a provider or adds unfamiliar words." ], "action": "Open the official app independently. Check alerts there and contact support using its own help menu.", "after": "If you entered credentials, change them from a trusted device, secure your email, and report any unfamiliar transactions promptly.", "sources": [ "phishing", "ftcHelp" ] }, { "slug": "account-takeover", "category": "Account security", "title": "When a scammer makes the payment", "summary": "Sharing a code after deception does not settle who authorized a transfer.", "art": "lock", "read": "3 min", "example": "“Read me the code we just sent so we can stop the suspicious payment.”", "explain": "Access obtained through deception can let someone else initiate transfers. Describe the sequence accurately when reporting.", "flags": [ "A person asks for a sign-in or verification code.", "Unfamiliar sign-in alerts or account changes.", "Transfers you did not initiate." ], "action": "Do not share codes. Secure the account through the official app and notify the provider immediately if someone else may have access.", "after": "Explain who actually initiated each transfer. CFPB guidance says a transfer initiated by a third party using access information obtained through fraud can be an unauthorized EFT.", "sources": [ "eft", "phishing" ] }, { "slug": "romance-investment", "category": "Relationships & investing", "title": "Trust built slowly. Money requested suddenly.", "summary": "A new relationship can become the route into a fake investment.", "art": "path", "read": "3 min", "example": "“I’ll show you the platform I use. You can withdraw your profit after one more deposit.”", "explain": "A person builds a relationship before suggesting an investment. A professional-looking dashboard does not verify that an investment exists.", "flags": [ "An online relationship steering you to a specific investing platform.", "Claims of reliable returns without meaningful risk.", "Extra payments demanded to release a withdrawal." ], "action": "Pause payments and seek an independent view from someone you trust. Verify an investment outside the relationship and outside its suggested links.", "after": "Save conversations and transaction details. Report suspected online investment fraud through IC3.gov; do not pay a recovery service promising certain results.", "sources": [ "investing", "romance", "recovery" ] }, { "slug": "task-jobs", "category": "Jobs & income", "title": "A job that asks you to pay to get paid", "summary": "A growing earnings display can hide the fact that your money is going out.", "art": "shop", "read": "2 min", "example": "“Complete this next set of tasks. Deposit money first to unlock your commission.”", "explain": "Small online assignments can create confidence before a demand for deposits to continue or withdraw earnings.", "flags": [ "An unsolicited offer for simple online optimization tasks.", "Deposits required to access supposed wages or commissions.", "A balance that increases while withdrawal stays out of reach." ], "action": "Do not deposit money to unlock earnings. Check an employer independently before sharing information or sending funds.", "after": "Stop further deposits, save the job messages and payment records, and report the suspected scheme.", "sources": [ "tasks" ] }, { "slug": "recovery-scams", "category": "After a scam", "title": "The second scam: a promise to recover your money", "summary": "An offer of help can become another demand for payment.", "art": "path", "read": "2 min", "example": "“We located your funds. Pay a processing fee and we’ll release them today.”", "explain": "People who have already lost money can be targeted with claims of special recovery access.", "flags": [ "An unexpected recovery offer after you reported a loss.", "Upfront fees, taxes, or cryptocurrency deposits.", "A guaranteed outcome or a request for account credentials." ], "action": "Use your provider and official reporting routes. Independently verify anyone offering professional help; a guarantee is a warning sign.", "after": "Save the recovery offer and report it as another suspected scam. You do not have to continue the conversation.", "sources": [ "recovery" ] }, { "slug": "fake-payment", "category": "Marketplace", "title": "The payment email that asks you to pay first", "summary": "A payment “on hold” can be a made-up reason to ask for your money.", "art": "message", "read": "3 min", "example": "“Your buyer paid, but you must upgrade your account to release the money.”", "explain": "A fake payment email borrows a provider’s branding and invents a fee or upgrade. Zelle specifically warns that its supposed account-upgrade demands are a scam.", "flags": [ "The payment appears only in an email, text, or screenshot.", "You are asked to send money before receiving the buyer’s payment.", "A link or phone number in the message becomes the only way to resolve it." ], "action": "Open your provider’s app yourself. Check the activity there and use official support to ask about any genuine restriction. Do not pay based on the message.", "after": "If you sent money, notify the provider and keep the payment reference and fake message. Report the account to the marketplace.", "sources": [ "upgrade" ] } ], "learningGuides": [ { "group": "pay-safely", "slug": "trusted-people", "title": "Everyday payments to people you know", "summary": "A familiar contact still deserves a quick check when the request is unusual.", "takeaway": "Confirm the request and recipient separately before sending.", "sections": [ [ "Check what changed", "Splitting dinner with a friend is different from an urgent request sent from their new account. Confirm unexpected instructions through a conversation you start using a number you already had." ], [ "Look at the confirmation screen", "Review the recipient identifier and amount in the app. A profile photo or familiar display name can be copied. Do not let a message sender talk you past a warning." ], [ "Keep account access private", "A helper does not need your verification code. Open the app yourself and decide after you have checked the request." ] ], "sources": [ "ftcApps", "paypal" ] }, { "group": "pay-safely", "slug": "account-security", "title": "A stronger account, a more informed payment", "summary": "Protect your payment app, email, and device together.", "takeaway": "Protecting access does not verify a seller. You need both account security and payment judgment.", "sections": [ [ "Start with access", "Use unique passwords where passwords are supported, enable available multifactor authentication, and protect the email account used for password resets. Do not approve a sign-in you did not start." ], [ "Protect the device", "Use a device lock and keep software current. Review account alerts. If someone contacts you about money, do not grant remote control of your phone or computer." ], [ "Review the request too", "A protected login can still be used to send money to the wrong person. Verify the recipient and check which payment type you are choosing." ] ], "tool": { "url": "/tools/security-checklist/", "label": "Use the account-security checklist" }, "sources": [ "ftcApps", "cash", "phishing" ] }, { "group": "pay-safely", "slug": "paying-someone-new", "title": "Paying someone new? Check your protections.", "summary": "Choose the payment type for the transaction, especially when buying from an unfamiliar person.", "takeaway": "An app’s account-security features are different from protections for a purchase.", "sections": [ [ "Identify the transaction", "Are you sending a personal transfer, using an eligible purchase checkout, or paying with a card through a wallet? Check the actual payment type rather than relying only on the provider’s name." ], [ "Read the terms before paying", "PayPal excludes Friends and Family payments from Purchase Protection. Other services and transaction types have their own eligibility rules. A seller telling you to use a personal transfer for a purchase deserves a closer look." ], [ "Keep the agreement", "Save the listing, price, delivery promises, and transaction record in your own files. Do not rely on the seller’s screenshot as evidence of a payment." ] ], "sources": [ "paypal", "shopping", "venmo" ] }, { "group": "pay-safely", "slug": "cancellation-refunds-protection", "title": "Cancellation, refunds, and protection are different", "summary": "Ask the question that matches the problem.", "takeaway": "A completed payment and a claim-review process are different things.", "sections": [ [ "Cancellation", "This asks whether the payment can still be stopped. Apple says an unaccepted pending Apple Cash payment can be canceled. Zelle says an authorized payment to an enrolled recipient cannot be canceled." ], [ "Refund or return", "This asks whether money can be returned after a transaction. When an unexpected sender wants money back, involve support instead of sending a separate transfer." ], [ "Protection or reimbursement", "This asks whether a provider’s policy or applicable law covers the circumstances. A payment being completed does not by itself determine the answer. Report accurately and ask which process applies." ] ], "sources": [ "appleHelp", "zelle", "venmo", "eft" ] }, { "group": "caregivers", "slug": "warning-signs", "title": "Notice the changes. Start a conversation.", "summary": "Behavior, payment requests, and secrecy can offer clues that someone is being targeted.", "takeaway": "Lead with curiosity and offer to verify the request together.", "sections": [ [ "What might be different?", "A new online relationship, pressure to keep a payment secret, or unfamiliar requests to send money can justify a gentle conversation. These observations are reasons to ask questions, not proof that someone has lost the ability to make decisions." ], [ "Ask without blame", "Try: “What did they ask you to do?” or “Can we check this together?” Make room for their account of what happened before offering a solution." ], [ "If money is at risk", "Offer to contact the provider through a known route together. If there is unfamiliar account activity, report it promptly. Official older-adult education resources can help you prepare the conversation." ] ], "sources": [ "older", "moneySmart", "passItOn" ] }, { "group": "caregivers", "slug": "safeguards", "title": "Agree on safeguards together", "summary": "Small, shared habits can create a pause before a pressured payment.", "takeaway": "Respect the account holder’s decisions and use authorized help rather than shared passwords.", "sections": [ [ "Make a shared pause rule", "Agree that an unexpected money request gets independently checked before anyone pays. Put a trusted callback route somewhere easy to find; keep actual contact details out of public worksheets." ], [ "Ask about support options", "Ask the institution whether alerts, transfer controls, view-only access, or a trusted-contact arrangement are available and what each allows. A trusted contact is not automatically authorized to move money." ], [ "If formal help is needed", "CFPB guides explain roles such as powers of attorney, trustees, guardians, and government-appointed fiduciaries. Specific authority depends on the arrangement and law. Seek qualified help for individual decisions." ] ], "tool": { "url": "/tools/family-plan/", "label": "Make a family payment plan" }, "sources": [ "fiduciary", "older", "moneySmart" ] }, { "group": "caregivers", "slug": "after-a-loss", "title": "When someone you care about has already paid", "summary": "Support the person, preserve the facts, and reach the provider.", "takeaway": "A calm next step is more useful than criticism.", "sections": [ [ "Make room for the account", "Ask what happened in their words and whether anyone may still have access. Avoid telling them what to say about authorization; accuracy matters." ], [ "Contact the right service", "For Zelle, start with the bank or credit union. For an app payment, start with the app’s official support route and notify a linked bank or card issuer if affected." ], [ "Offer practical help", "Help organize messages and support references with permission. If you are acting for the account holder, ask the institution what authorization it needs. Do not send more money to someone promising recovery." ] ], "sources": [ "ftcHelp", "zelleReport", "recovery", "fiduciary" ] }, { "group": "business", "slug": "accepting-payments", "title": "Accept payments with clear checks", "summary": "Verify receipt in your own account and know the rules for the account you use.", "takeaway": "A customer’s email or screenshot is not proof that you received a payment.", "sections": [ [ "Confirm inside your account", "Open your bank or payment app independently. Match the payer, amount, and reference before releasing goods. Ask support about anything suspicious; an incoming entry does not prove the payer is legitimate." ], [ "Know your account agreement", "Regulation E’s consumer-account definition focuses on personal, family, or household purposes. Business accounts generally have different protections. Ask your institution about reporting deadlines, liability, limits, and approval controls." ], [ "Use the right product", "Ask each provider whether the account is suitable for your business activity. Keep written terms, receipts, and refund procedures, and train staff to question payment-release or upgrade demands." ] ], "sources": [ "accountDefinition", "upgrade", "venmo" ] }, { "group": "business", "slug": "payment-changes", "title": "Verify a vendor’s changed payment details", "summary": "A familiar email conversation can carry unfamiliar payment instructions.", "takeaway": "Confirm account changes through a known contact route before using them.", "sections": [ [ "Treat changes as a separate decision", "If an invoice, executive, or vendor asks for new payment details, pause the change. An existing email thread can be compromised." ], [ "Verify outside the message", "Use a number from your own records to confirm the change. Where practical, require a second authorized person to approve a new payee or changed instructions. Do not treat a successful small test transfer as proof of ownership." ], [ "If the money went elsewhere", "Contact your financial institution promptly and ask it to contact the receiving institution. Report online crime through IC3.gov and alert the genuine business contact. Preserve the original instructions." ] ], "sources": [ "bec" ] }, { "group": "business", "slug": "overpayments", "title": "Handle overpayments through the original channel", "summary": "An apparent extra payment can become a request for a separate outgoing transfer.", "takeaway": "Investigate the original transaction before acting on a refund demand.", "sections": [ [ "Recognize the request", "A buyer claims to have paid too much and wants the difference sent to another person or app. A payment notification may be fake, or the original payment may later be challenged." ], [ "Use a documented process", "Verify the transaction in your own account. Ask official support how to handle the original payment and use the provider’s appropriate refund process when advised. Do not improvise a separate transfer." ], [ "Make the policy clear", "Record the original transaction reference, your support inquiry, and any authorized refund. Staff should know that urgency from a customer does not override payment verification." ] ], "sources": [ "venmo", "upgrade" ] }, { "group": "get-help", "slug": "dispute-playbook", "title": "Prepare a clear dispute or support request", "summary": "Organize your timeline, evidence, and questions for the provider.", "takeaway": "Report promptly, describe who did what, and keep the provider’s response.", "sections": [ [ "Make the first report", "Do not delay an urgent report while preparing a polished packet. Identify the affected payments and describe the suspected issue. Ask how supporting records should be sent and whether a written follow-up is needed." ], [ "Organize the facts", "Keep a sequence of events, transaction references, messages, and case numbers in your own files. Distinguish what you personally did from actions someone else took. Do not guess at facts you cannot establish." ], [ "Follow up on the decision", "Ask for the explanation and the review process in writing. Point out missing facts or factual errors. A CFPB complaint may raise an unresolved service problem; it does not replace reporting promptly or guarantee reimbursement." ] ], "tool": { "url": "/tools/dispute-organizer/", "label": "Build a private dispute outline" }, "sources": [ "eft", "complaint" ] }, { "group": "get-help", "slug": "reporting", "title": "Where to report, and what each route does", "summary": "A support request, a complaint, and a crime report serve different purposes.", "takeaway": "Notify the provider first when a payment or account is at risk.", "sections": [ [ "Your provider or financial institution", "Use its official app or site for transaction support, security issues, and claims. A report to this educational site would not notify your provider." ], [ "Government reports", "ReportFraud.ftc.gov accepts scam reports. IC3.gov is the FBI’s online-crime reporting route. IdentityTheft.gov helps organize identity-theft recovery. Filing does not guarantee a personal investigation or refund." ], [ "An unresolved financial-service complaint", "The CFPB’s complaint portal routes financial-service complaints to companies or other agencies as appropriate. Keep your provider case reference and relevant correspondence." ] ], "tool": { "url": "/reporting/", "label": "Open the official reporting directory" }, "sources": [ "ftcHelp", "complaint" ] } ], "research": [ { "slug": "unauthorized-or-scam", "title": "Why “who initiated the payment?” matters", "label": "Understanding your options", "summary": "A practical distinction that can change the reporting conversation.", "sections": [ [ "Describe the sequence, not just the label", "A payment you initiated after being deceived and a transfer someone else initiated with stolen access can raise different questions. Write down who operated the app, who entered the recipient, and who confirmed the transfer." ], [ "Sharing access information is not the end of the analysis", "The CFPB’s Electronic Fund Transfers FAQs explain that a transfer a third party initiates using access information obtained through fraud can be unauthorized. Tell the provider if a caller tricked you into sharing a code or credentials." ], [ "Ask for an explanation", "Report promptly and accurately. Ask which process applies and request the decision and its reasoning in writing. This overview does not decide whether a specific claim is covered." ] ], "sources": [ "eft", "zelleReport" ] }, { "slug": "protection-is-not-one-thing", "title": "Purchase protection is not the same as account security", "label": "Payment literacy", "summary": "A secure app does not mean every purchase or personal transfer has the same protections.", "sections": [ [ "Separate the questions", "Account security is about controlling access. Purchase protection is about eligible purchases and specified problems. Cancellation is about whether a payment can still be stopped. Those are different questions." ], [ "Look at the actual transaction", "PayPal distinguishes personal transfers from eligible purchase payments. Apple distinguishes pending and accepted Apple Cash transfers. Read the relevant terms before sending, rather than relying on the app’s brand alone." ], [ "A practical habit", "Before paying a new seller, identify the payment type, the recipient, and the applicable dispute route. Keep a record of the purchase terms you relied on." ] ], "sources": [ "paypal", "appleHelp" ] }, { "slug": "reading-fraud-numbers", "title": "How to read a headline about payment fraud", "label": "Evidence literacy", "summary": "Five questions to ask before comparing a fraud rate or a loss figure.", "sections": [ [ "What is being counted?", "A count of reports, transactions, affected people, and dollars lost describes different things. An incident rate cannot by itself tell you a dollar-loss rate." ], [ "Who is included?", "Ask whether the number covers an entire network, one provider, selected institutions, or survey respondents. Look for the period, definitions, and denominator." ], [ "Who produced the number?", "An operator’s disclosure, a consumer survey, and a regulator’s complaint dataset have different purposes and limitations. Reported activity does not capture every unreported event." ], [ "What is missing?", "Reimbursement outcomes need their own evidence. A low reported incident rate does not establish how a particular complaint will be handled. This is a reading checklist, not a ranking of payment apps." ] ], "sources": [] } ] }