Class action lawsuits have been filed against major banks across the country, alleging that they failed to protect consumers from Zelle-related fraud or refund customers from losses suffered from such scams. The peer-to-peer payment app Zelle was reportedly promoted as a safe and secure payment method despite having a high risk for fraud. Hundreds of thousands of bank customers report losing money in schemes involving the money app. Banks have generally refused to reimburse customers for these unauthorized transactions.
At Levin Law, P.A., our class action law firm, represents individuals who have suffered losses in Zelle-related fraudulent schemes. Our lawyers help to hold financial institutions accountable when they fail to protect consumers. If you lost money in a Zelle fraud scam and were not reimbursed by your bank, contact our office for a free case evaluation.
Harmed customers are encouraged to contact (305) 402-9050 or email Levin Law founder and managing partner Brian Levin directly at [email protected].
Lawsuits Filed Against Zelle and Major Banks
Zellepay.com (“Zelle”) is a peer-to-peer payment app that allows users to send money to each other at no cost. It is owned and operated by Early Warning Services, LLC. Early Warning Services is co-owned by seven of the largest banks in the United States.
Banks that co-own Early Warning Services (Zelle’s parent company):
- Bank of America
- Capital One
- JPMorgan Chase
- PNC Bank
- Truist
- U.S. Bank
- Wells Fargo
Multiple lawsuits have been filed against several of the banks that own Zelle’s parent company, Early Warning Services, alleging that they failed to protect and warn consumers about the high risk of fraud with the money app. Reports indicate that customers have lost millions in Zelle-related fraudulent schemes and that banks have failed to reimburse for these unauthorized transactions.
Zelle Promoted as “Safe and Secure”
Financial institutions nationwide, including those with an ownership stake in the money app, reportedly promoted Zelle as a safe and secure way to send funds. Even once banks received claims of Zelle-related fraud, they continued to tell customers that the peer-to-peer money transferring service was safe.
As indicated by NBC 5 Chicago, regulators estimate that unauthorized transactions through the app exceeded $255 million in a single year. While banks received hundreds of thousands of claims related to these unauthorized transactions, they refused to reimburse customers except for in a small fraction of cases.
The financial institutions reasoned that the transactions were, in fact, “approved” since they frequently came from the customer’s phone. However, as detailed in multiple lawsuits, customers were often duped into believing that they were giving account information to bank employees or clearing up unauthorized transactions on their statements.
Allegations Against Major Banks
Major banks have been accused of failing to warn and protect consumers from the potential risk of fraud related to the use of Zelle. It is alleged that financial institutions that continued to promote Zelle as a safe way to transfer money while refusing to reimburse customers for Zelle-related losses also violated federal law related to the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Banks reportedly knew about the high propensity for fraud on the app since they had received countless claims detailing the unauthorized transfer of funds. Despite the banks knowing of the fraud and the potential for harm to their customers, they continued to encourage the use of the app. Today, several lawsuits have been filed against Zelle and the financial institutions that promoted the app.
Zelle Fraud Scams Increasing
A federal report indicates that fraudulent activity on Zelle is not only commonplace, it is increasing rapidly. Fraud and scam claims on the peer-to-peer payment platform allegedly rose over 250% from 2020 to 2021. Zelle is being investigated by federal regulators and is facing numerous lawsuits.
Major banks such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase have also been named in these lawsuits after reports show that the institutions failed to reimburse customers in these fraudulent schemes. It is estimated that banks did not repay 90% of customers who lost money in Zelle-related fraud.
In some instances, customers lost tens of thousands of dollars. Customers are given little to no recourse from their bank if money is transferred in an unauthorized transaction from their Zelle account. Aggrieved customers are strongly encouraged to contact Levin Law, P.A. for a no-cost case consultation.
Contact Levin Law for a Free Case Evaluation
Did your bank refuse to refund your losses suffered in a Zelle fraud scheme? Contact Levin Law to schedule a free case evaluation. Harmed banking customers are recommended to call Levin Law founder and managing partner Brian Levin at (305) 402-9050 or email [email protected]. Zelle customers may be eligible to join a class action lawsuit or take other legal action. Call now to discuss your rights.
At Levin Law, most cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you are not obligated to pay attorney fees unless money is recovered on your behalf.
About Levin Law
Levin Law is a premier national cryptocurrency, securities, commodities, futures, and class action law firm. Brian Levin, Levin Law’s founding attorney, has helped recover in excess of $150,000,000 through arbitration and litigation for individual and institutional investors throughout the country and the rest of the world. Levin Law represents retirees, individual investors, high-net-worth investors, ultra-high-net-worth investors, institutions, family offices, trusts, publicly held companies, and others.
