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It started with a Facebook message
Susan Whinery and her husband were cleaning out their garage and listed an old bike on Facebook Marketplace for $100. Not long after, a man messaged her saying he was reaching out for his sister, who wanted the bike but didn’t use Facebook. He gave her the woman’s phone number so they could handle the payment directly.
The buyer said she wanted to pay using Zelle, the money-transfer app. She asked Whinery for her email address so she could “send the payment.” Minutes later, Whinery received what looked like an official email from Zelle. The message appeared real — it had the logo, the right colors, and professional language.
The email said Whinery’s Zelle account was “inactive” and needed to be reactivated before she could receive any money. To do that, it told her to send $500 from her account to the buyer’s account. Once she sent the $500, the buyer said she’d send back $600 — refunding the $500 and adding $100 for the bike.
It sounded strange, but the buyer was polite and convincing. She reassured Whinery that this had happened before and that it was just part of how Zelle worked. Trusting her, Whinery followed the instructions and sent the $500.
A short time later, another email from what looked to be Zelle arrived. This one said the first payment wasn’t enough to finish the reactivation, and she needed to send $1,500 more, which she did. At this point Whinery had sent $2,000, and yet emails continued to come from what she believed was Zelle, demanding even more money, she realizes she had been scammed. she said she “felt very, very sick to her stomach.
“When I looked at it again later, I realized the email wasn’t from Zelle at all,” she said. “It was a Gmail address pretending to be Zelle.”
Whinery called her bank and Zelle. Both pointed her to each other. No one refunded her money.
This story is based on reporting by The U.S. Sun. Full story can be found here.
Lessons Learned
The goal of this newsletter is to expose the tactics scammers use — so when they try them on you, you’ll recognize the red flags before it’s too late. Here are key takeaways from Susan Whinery’s story to help you stay protected.
If you’re selling something, the buyer should never need your money. Real buyers don’t ask you to send money to “activate,” “verify,” or “unlock” your account. The payment should come to you — not from you.
Emails can look official but still be fake. Scammers copy logos and colors to make fake payment emails look real. Always check the sender’s address carefully. Real companies like Zelle never use Gmail or Yahoo accounts.
Politeness is part of the trick. Scammers often act friendly, respectful, and understanding to earn your trust. Once you comply, their tone changes fast.
If something feels confusing, pause. Real transactions are simple. If the instructions don’t make sense or seem backward, talk to a family member, your bank, or someone you trust before sending anything.
Trust your gut. Whinery said she had a feeling something wasn’t right — but ignored it to be polite. Don’t. Listen to that feeling. It’s there to protect you.
Keep conversations on the platform. The first thing scammers do is try to move the conversation off Facebook — to WhatsApp, text message, or Telegram — where it can’t be monitored for fraud the same way Facebook Messenger can.
Always contact Zelle, Venmo, or your bank directly. If you’re told there’s an issue with your banking app, call the company directly using the phone number on the back of your card, or contact them through the official app or website. Never follow links or call numbers in an email or text — those can easily be fake.
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