Via iStockphoto / @_deadleg TikTok
A man says he accidentally received $3,100 via Zelle. Now, he says he's worried he'll be accused of money laundering. What should he do?
It’s easier than ever to send and receive money online. Unfortunately, this also means it’s easier for scammers to try to get hold of your cash.
Online financial scams—and warnings about them—are so ubiquitous that it’s understandable to regard any mystery payment with suspicion. Did someone send me money because of an innocent accident? Or are they trying to drain my savings account?
So, if you’re in this situation, what should you do? That’s what one man is wondering after discovering an unexpected deposit into his bank account.
Where Did This Money Come From?
In a video with over 243,000 views, TikTok user Spencer Zimmerman (@_deadleg) says he’s dealing with a peculiar issue.
“Last night, somebody Zelled me $3100 for rent, and I have no idea who they are,” he starts.
While Zimmerman says he wants to return the money, he adds that he “[doesn’t] know how to.”
In a follow-up post, he says that further investigation into this issue has mostly just scared him.
“My current update is that y’all have freaked me out,” he shares.
“There’s this person that says, ‘Do not report it to the bank, because they will probably shut your accounts down for money laundering,’” he continues. “So now, I am just very—I’m even more confused as to what I’m supposed to be doing in this situation.”
What Should You Do In This Situation?
Thankfully, Zimmerman probably does not need to be concerned about being caught up in money laundering accusations.
Money scams through various payment platforms are unfortunately common, and as a result, most publish documentation about what one can and should do in this situation. If one follows this advice, the situation can be solved relatively quickly.
If this were a scam, it would go something like this. A scammer gains access to someone’s account. From there, they Zelle their victim money. After that, they reach out to the victim and ask for the money back. This money is instead sent to their own account.
Eventually, the bank realizes the original payment was fraudulent and reverses it, causing the victim to lose the money they passed off to the scammer.
A Zelle spokesperson told BroBible that “if a consumer receives an unexpected payment from someone they do not recognize, they should contact their bank or credit union immediately using a trusted channel, such as the phone number on the back of their debit card or through their financial institution’s official app or website.”
They warned against handling the matter directly with sender of the mistaken payment and instead follow the guidance they receive from their bank.
Zelle encourages customers to report any suspicious behavior to to their bank or credit union. “Individual financial institutions maintain their own procedures for reviewing transactions and protecting customer accounts, so we cannot speak to what actions a particular institution may take. If a consumer receives a payment they do not recognize or has concerns about suspicious activity, contacting their financial institution is the appropriate step,” the spokesperson said.
A Solution Is Found
In a later follow-up, Zimmerman says he was able to resolve the issue by going through his contacts.
“It was not a scam, and it actually was somebody’s rent money. And, it turns out I do know them, because I’m a barber and I have a ton of random people in my phone,” he shares.
“They have my contact, and his name was Joe,” he continues. “I had hit up all my Josephs in my phone, because that’s what it popped up as—a Joseph, not a Joe. I did not think to hit up all the Joes in my phone. Well, I just received a text from him saying, ‘I made a mistake. Can you please return it?’”
While he does not specifically say it, it appears that Zimmerman did return the money to the man in question.
Viewers Say It’s Happened To Them
In the comments section, users echoed expert advice.
“Call your bank, let them handle it. DO NOT send it back, it’s a scam,” said a commenter.
“The best thing to do is to just let sit in your account. zelles can’t be refunded, even for fraud,” added another.
“This scam happened to my parents. Thank god, I didn’t let them send money back because it was confirmed a scam,” stated a third.
That said, some users said that the innocent explanation could be legitimate.
“Some did this to my sister and it wasn’t a scam it was actually someone who accidentally Zelled her rent money and she took it out the bank and gave it back to them,” recalled a user.
BroBible reached out to Zimmerman via TikTok and Instagram direct message.