Zelle Business Account Scams on Facebook - Upgrade to Receive Payment

Just ran into the same thing. Someone wanting to buy one of the hot tubs we represent, contacting me from a FB Marketplace listing. Insisted on using Zelle (which I don't really like, anyway, and which connects to a personal, not business account). Started the transaction and then got a message similar to what is above, but for $300 to be the extra payment. Didn't seem right to me. The supposed buyer asked if I could be trusted to refund the money, and in that time I did a mouse-over on the email sending address and saw it was a GMail address. Along with some glitches in the English in the message and the nature of the request, I had no doubt this was a scam, and told the alleged buyer as much. Oh, they were so disbelieving they got busted!
I don't think FB cares much about stopping this kind of scam. All you can do is report the person, with no provision for describing the nature of the scam. And my bank only takes fraud reports by phone, not email, and I don't feel inclined to sit on hold for their convenience. This is the state of things more and more today.
If you run into a purported buyer on FB named Va - who appears to be in China, if I had to guess - don't deal with them. The place is lousy with fraudsters, and suspicion and caution should be the default mode in dealing with unknown parties.
Thanks for this great explanation how the scam works.

I used fb marketplace before and something was off from the beginning. He asked what bank. Then asked for my email and full name something is never been asked before but my husband was like no it’s normal but then the email I got really didn’t sit right no one is sending me more than an item is worth. I reported him and deactivated my Zelle just in case.

Trying to sell items this is the second time someone tried this scam on me
The first I actually called Zelle customer service and they told me it was a scam attempt so when it popped up again I knew right away.
It's men, women young and old. Don't be fooled and if you don't think it's right call customer service like I did.

I was almost a victim of this scam, fortunately the final step to send the money I hesitated and found this site. Facebook market place is where they are.

I was scammed in the same way and lost 500 dollars in this process and they asked for more 450 dollars and didn’t pay them and blocked the user in Facebook.

I got the email request to upgrade my zelle to business. I refused and the scammer called me a fool, so I blocked him on facebook. The email request he sent looks like a fake. I was lucky

Same! they tried bullying me to send back what they supposedly sent - blocked and reported on facebook - Email definitely looked suspect.

This happened to me yesterday after I tried to sell a wedding dress on FB Marketplace. I am so paranoid now I killed off all my accounts. I am out $500! I am sick about it. Not only I am NOT getting married reason why I wanted to sell the dress, Some BI** scammed me out of $500. I was at work trying to multI task so didn't GOOGLE investigate. My bank can't refund either. I have filed a complaint with IC3, but who know if that is real. I cannot trust anything anymore, Paying all bills with check in the mail from now on, and am never selling anything onsite angain. Ruined it for me for sure. Everyone can call me stupid but it is what it is, I feel STUPID.

Great article - you nailed the exact email they sent. Had already detected the scam - good to have confirmation, though.

Same thing Facebook marketplace lady was going to buy something from me. We talked for the majority of the day. Came up with a meeting time that worked with me and my wife chemo schedule. Then she said she’ll zelle the money. I gave her my email and phone number. Then I received an email saying I have to upgrade my zelle first. She wanted me to send her 400 then she would immediately send me 500. Then she called me I didn’t answer. I told her I think it’s a scam. She said why would she do that. I told her I was going to pass. I’m already loosing my wife I can’t afford to lose anything else.
I reported her. Blocked her. Joan fisher was her name.
It makes me sad to think people do this. Everyone has their own issues going on. And to add to it you’re the lowest kinda person.
Do some research before you zelle anyone or pay over the web

Well as per usual I’ve come across almost every other Scambler’s but thankfully I’m a little bit more shrewd after years of being scammed. This happens and it happens a lot I was contacted by Facebook account that had pictures of two cops on it so I guess I was supposed to believe it because he had a picture of her security officer on his profile ….
Offered to buy one of the things I have on Facebook marketplace and then came up with the BS upgrade my account to a business account… I knew right then it was BS report him to Facebook blocked him…
And right up until the point I actually blocked him he gave this stupid spill over and over again about how he’s a man of God …. Don’t believe anyone online who doesn’t talk complete sense and if anything feels fishy it probably is… Don’t get scammed out of your money…
And I think Facebook should be paying for this the police everything else on their d**n site they should be responsible for scammers running on their marketplace side actually I think it’s an accountability issue that everybody should be taken care of… I am of the belief that any limited liability company should be responsible for his own name and that if other people are scammed With that company is good name in tow that it should be the company itself Who reimburses the people who got scammed and then that large company could go after the scammers. Problem solved