Pay It Safe with Zelle®
Posted March 25, 2025
Zelle® is a great way to send money to friends, family, and others you trust, right from BayFedOnline and the BayFed Mobile app. With Zelle®, money moves directly from your account to theirs, typically arriving in minutes.*
We know getting money to friends and family quickly and safely is important, so we've provided some friendly reminders on how to "pay it safe" when you're sending money with Zelle®.
- Only send money to those you trust. Zelle® should only be used with friends, family and others you trust. Why? Because you can’t cancel a payment once it’s been sent, if the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle®. And if you send money to someone you don’t know, or you do not get what you expected, you may not get your money back.
- Beware of payment scams. If you receive a call from someone threatening a negative action, such as fraud on your account or utilities being shut off unless you make a payment with Zelle®, slow down and think it through. This might be a scam. Scammers use fear and urgency to get people to act on impulse rather than reason. Also, keep in mind that no one from Bay Federal Credit Union will ever ask you to send money with Zelle® as a test or to avoid a fraud event.
Another example of a payment scam is buying event tickets from a stranger at a price that seems too good to be true and then never receiving them. If the seller asks you to use Zelle® to purchase the tickets, you should refuse unless the seller is someone you personally know and trust.
Neither Bay Federal Credit Union nor Zelle® offers purchase protection for payments made with Zelle®—for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for, or the item is not as described or as you. - Treat Zelle® like cash. Did your friend change phone numbers recently? It’s easy for people to change their phone number or email address. Always make sure the name that appears on the confirmation screen matches the intended recipient. When in doubt, contact the recipient to verify the U.S. mobile number or email address they used to enroll with Zelle® before you hit “Send.”
Remember, if a person has already enrolled with Zelle®, you can’t cancel the transaction, so it’s important you get it right the first time. If you send money to the wrong person, it’s like handing cash to a stranger.
For more information and videos on how to use Zelle® safely, visit “How to Pay it Safe with Zelle®.”
Article originally published January 1, 2023.*To send or receive money with Zelle®, both parties must have an eligible checking or savings account. Transactions between enrolled users typically occur in minutes.
Zelle® and the Zelle® marks are property of Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.
Categories: FinancialAdvice
