Zelle is a payment service that prides itself on being lightning-fast and super convenient. It connects directly to your bank accounts or debit cards, making transactions speedy. But what if you want to fake a Zelle payment to prank a friend or family member for a laugh gag? Suppose you’re sending a real payment. Once you hit the “send” button, canceling a Zelle payment is practically impossible. You can only cancel a payment if the recipient is not enrolled with Zelle.¹
How to fake a Zelle payment
If you’ve already got your bank’s app installed on your phone, you’re golden—no extra download is required. But if your bank or credit union hasn’t incorporated Zelle yet, just download the standalone Zelle app. Now, follow these steps to fake a Zelle payment:
1. Set up Zelle
Next up, select your recipient. When you’re all set up with Zelle, all you need is an email address or a U.S. mobile number to try sending payment straight from your banking app or Zelle app to your friend. Note that you can use Zelle to send money to pretty much anyone who has a bank account in the US.
2. Create Make a fake Zelle payment screenshot
After setting up Zelle, you want to create a fake Zelle payment screenshot to send a fake Zelle payment. You can simply edit an existing Zelle payment and replace the amount and information, including the recipient name, and profile picture. If you have sent a real payment to your friend before and you still have the screenshot, that makes it even easier. Just modify the date and amount.
3. Enter the fake amount to send
Decide how much to send and enter the amount. Normally, if the person is already a Zelle user, funds typically enter their bank account instantly. Regarding the amount limit you can enter, that depends on your bank or credit union’s sending limits through Zelle. But if your bank or credit union does not yet support Zelle, the weekly send limit is $500.² So, this should help you determine how much money to send without him/her becoming immediately aware of your prank.
4. Create a fake Zelle email address
You need to create an email address that is similar to Zelle’s. Zelle’s official email address whenever they notify is DoNotReply@zellepay.com. So, you want to create an email address with Gmail or any other app and name it something similar, though yours will end like @gmail.com. That does not matter because it’s only a prank and your friend won’t notice the difference at first.
5. Send them a payment confirmation email or text
If the person is already enrolled in Zelle, you don’t have to send them the email that says “Accept Payment” since real money will typically move directly into their bank account associated with their profile (typically within minutes).³
If the person is enrolled on Zelle, then send them the screenshot that says [Your Name] sent you [Amount] with Zelle®. Just as in the screenshot below.
Final thoughts
Remember, this is only a for-prank/gag guide to help you fake a Zelle payment to a friend. You can send them a large amount of money to make them think you just recently won the lottery. Don’t forget to delete the email account you created for this prank, as well as delete the fake Zelle payment screenshot from your device. Keep it simple and let them know it is a prank. Also, use this opportunity to lecture your friend or family member on how to be on the lookout for fake Zelle payment emails.
Read also: How to Fake Bank Statement that Looks Real
