Is it a red flag if a provider turns down cash and insists on Zelle?

[NJF]

Tried to meet with a provider today and it didn’t happen because he turned down cash and insisted on being paid through Zelle. This is the first time that someone actually turned down cash. It feels like a scam is in store.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Zelle, due to being sponsored direct through banks, is a tough one to scam.

Perhaps he just wants to claim it on taxes so he can build up to buying a car, home, etc.

There are many legit reasons escorts would want a controlled papertrail. 

[NJF]

4 minutes ago, Benjamin_Nicholas said:

Zelle, due to being sponsored direct through banks, is a tough one to scam.

Perhaps he just wants to claim it on taxes so he can build up to buying a car, home, etc.

There are many legit reasons escorts would want a controlled papertrail. 

Zelle is a honor system. A former friend claimed that he never received the Zelle payment from me whereas the bank insisted that it was instantly cleared. 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

34 minutes ago, NJF said:

Zelle is a honor system. A former friend claimed that he never received the Zelle payment from me whereas the bank insisted that it was instantly cleared. 

Because it's a direct EFT, it's a black or white thing.  You can always call your bank to confirm.

If they say yes, then the money transfered.  You did your part.  End of story.

I get that cash is king, but I also wanted to give you perfectly explainable reasons why someone might want to do this.

[jeezifonly]

Enough providers still accept cash - I do not use EFT’s - no apps of that type on my phone. 
 

No cash? No thanks. 

[RadioRob]

Zelle is sponsored by the banks themselves. It’s not a third party payment service like PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp. One the money is transferred, there is no take backs…. It’s a lot like a wire transfer. 

I know one provider that preferred it because they did not have a local bank and did not want to carry large sums of cash. The Zelle transfers make it available to the provider’s normal banking account and allows access to transfers, bill pay, or their normal debit card. 

Using Zelle in itself would not be a red flag for me. 

[RadioRob]

3 minutes ago, jeezifonly said:

Enough providers still accept cash - I do not use EFT’s - no apps of that type on my phone. 
 

No cash? No thanks. 

I can absolutely understand that position. However the question posed by the OP was if using Zelle was an indicator of a scam.  

Zelle in itself is not a sign of a scam, but if a client will actually have that method setup or be willing to utilize it is an entirely different question.  

[NJF]

Here is my dilemma: if a “friend” lied about not getting the Zelle payment, how can I trust a stranger not playing the same trick? Just imagine that after I send the payment, he claims that he did not get it and ask me to send it again. It can get really awkward really fast.

I used cash app and Zelle with my regulars before without any hesitation. If there is a level of trust, preference for online payment is fine.

[RadioRob]

15 minutes ago, NJF said:

Here is my dilemma: if a “friend” lied about not getting the Zelle payment, how can I trust a stranger not playing the same trick? Just imagine that after I send the payment, he claims that he did not get it and ask me to send it again. It can get really awkward really fast.

I used cash app and Zelle with my regulars before without any hesitation. If there is a level of trust, preference for online payment is fine.

I send it with him watching and confirming the address. He immediately sees it and confirmed the destination at the same time. 

[Kevin Slater]

You can always test with $1 first and have him acknowledge receipt before sending more.

Kevin Slater

[Kevin Slater]

There could still be a scam, not centering around bilking Zelle.  The transfer provides him with your name, for example.

Kevin Slater

[+ nycman]

I wouldn’t do it.

Cash is King.

[marylander1940]

3 hours ago, NJF said:

Tried to meet with a provider today and it didn’t happen because he turned down cash and insisted on being paid through Zelle. This is the first time that someone actually turned down cash. It feels like a scam is in store.

What a bad attitude for business he has... that would be my first impression. No reason to think it was a scam unless he required any payment to book him. 

[jeezifonly]

40 minutes ago, marylander1940 said:

What a bad attitude for business he has... that would be my first impression. No reason to think it was a scam unless he required any payment to book him. 

A small business owner I know (handmade jewelry) says the only people who insist on paying her in cash are over 55-60. That almost everyone else uses an app for transfer. I wonder if providers might use that as a predictor about clients. 

[BuffaloKyle]

Maybe someone passed off some counterfeit money to him one time perhaps? That's all I can think of. 

Edited April 16, 2022 by BuffaloKyle

[BeamerBikes]

One of the forerunner advocates for a cashless society was one of the Abba guys. His brother's apartment got broken into, and the thought removing cash would deincentive robbery and make fencing harder.  

Wonder if it's also a safety issue for new clients or particular neighborhoods.  Communicating no cash means his place likely has none on-hand.  

[marylander1940]

3 hours ago, jeezifonly said:

A small business owner I know (handmade jewelry) says the only people who insist on paying her in cash are over 55-60. That almost everyone else uses an app for transfer. I wonder if providers might use that as a predictor about clients. 

Buying and selling jewelry is legal and morally acceptable. 

[marylander1940]

57 minutes ago, BuffaloKyle said:

Maybe someone passed off some counterfeit money to him one time perhaps? That's all I can think of. 

I know an escort who has been doing this activity for over 10 years and only had one incident of someone giving him a fake bill . The ATM told him something wasn't right and after a close inspection he realized it looked different. Thank God he didn't stop by the bank teller.

[BuffaloKyle]

8 minutes ago, marylander1940 said:

I know an escort who has been doing this activity for over 10 years and only had one incident of someone giving him a fake bill . The ATM told him something wasn't right and after a close inspection he realized it looked different. Thank God he didn't stop by the bank teller.

Maybe that's who @NJFtried to meet up with!!! 🤣

Edited April 16, 2022 by BuffaloKyle

[maninsoma]

15 hours ago, Kevin Slater said:

There could till be a scam, not centering around bilking Zelle.  The transfer provides him with your name, for example.

Kevin Slater

That's my issue with it.  I like the anonymity of cash and the lack of a paper trail.  So while I doubt it's a scam and I understand that some guys might prefer an electronic transfer, it's also reasonable that some guys might prefer cash.

[+ DrownedBoy]

17 hours ago, BuffaloKyle said:

Maybe someone passed off some counterfeit money to him one time perhaps? That's all I can think of. 

I only know one instance where this happened. According to a regular,  a guy tried a bad bill, but it was so obviously counterfeit that he rejected it on first sight. Most counterfeit bills look pretty crappy.

I am worried,  though, what will happen if you have a stash of older, 1980s hundreds (which use an older design).

[Jamie21]

19 hours ago, marylander1940 said:

Buying and selling jewelry is legal and morally acceptable. 

So is buying and selling sexual services! Those who think it’s morally unacceptable are usually those in absolutely no position to judge others. Absolutely nothing wrong with it and it’s legal where I live. I accept cash or credit card. 

[marylander1940]

2 hours ago, Jamie21 said:

So is buying and selling sexual services! Those who think it’s morally unacceptable are usually those in absolutely no position to judge others. Absolutely nothing wrong with it and it’s legal where I live. I accept cash or credit card. 

I couldn't agree with you more. Unfortunately our legal system is different this side of the pond.

[marylander1940]

4 hours ago, DrownedBoy said:

I only know one instance where this happened. According to a regular,  a guy tried a bad bill, but it was so obviously counterfeit that he rejected it on first sight. Most counterfeit bills look pretty crappy.

I am worried,  though, what will happen if you have a stash of older, 1980s hundreds (which use an older design).

Taking this slightly off subject I know an escort who has a regular who always pays him using those old bills.... I guess he got a nice bribe decades ago. The escort later sales those bills on ebay.

[marylander1940]

10 hours ago, maninsoma said:

That's my issue with it.  I like the anonymity of cash and the lack of a paper trail.  So while I doubt it's a scam and I understand that some guys might prefer an electronic transfer, it's also reasonable that some guys might prefer cash.

You're not alone. Most clients still pay using good old fashioned cash.