On Your Side: How scammers steal from your money transfer app

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. (KY3) - If you sell anything online, you’ve got to watch out. Scammers are out to get your money.

A Lawrence County woman nearly lost $300 trying to sell an exercise bike on Facebook. Julie Stolting did not want the bike anymore.

“Just sitting in the hallway. I was like oh, I need to get rid of it. So I posted it on Facebook,” she said.

She asked for $300. She got a bite.

“She asked questions like, how long have you had it? What’s the condition? I went through all that. And I’m like, okay, this is great. I got to sell this and make some extra Christmas money,” said Stolting.

Sold. Or so she thought. It got complicated. The buyer wanted to use Zelle, a money transfer app. Then Stolting got an email from the so-called Zelle Support Service. It says the buyer paid her, but Stolting’s account is on hold. The email reads she must expand her account limit. She’s instructed to send $300 to the buyer. Then, she’ll get $600.

Stolting hovered her mouse over the form address.

“When I went back over it, it was a Gmail, and when does Zelle have a Gmail,” she asked.

It’s all part of the scheme. She could have lost $300 or more.

Cash-only is your best bet. If you must use a money transfer app, perhaps do the transaction in person, so you know the buyer is legit.

Zelle, like other apps, does offer small business features that are paid. But you do not need to send money to someone else for an upgrade.

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