Scammers using money transfer apps and what congress is doing about it

ORLANDO, Fla. — Instant transfer apps like Zelle, Venmo and Cashapp are facing increased scrutiny as the number of scams involving those apps is expected to jump more than 50% by 2027.

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Action 9, for years, has told viewers about Zelle scams impacting people in Central Florida.

Karla White, a Kissimmee woman, was scammed out of $2500 thinking she was renting a home, only to find out scammers were spoofing a legitimate website.

Congress is calling on banks to put more safeguards in place to protect those who use apps like Zelle.

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Congress is now demanding Zelle clarify its reimbursement policy, reimburse customers for scams, and streamline the process to report fraud.

While these steps will help those who have lost money, the banks that use Zelle say it is up to Congress to take steps to prevent criminals from “spoofing” legitimate names and phone numbers to impersonate banks.

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