Today's Article

Here's an email one consumer recently was sent. It looks like a 4legitimate receipt from PayPal. And if you call the number at the top, you are connected to someone 5claiming to be a customer service agent but this is a scam. 

"They are going to walk you through a process that's going to 6mirror how you legitimately tied these accounts together, but they're going to be collecting all of that information, your financial information, your username and password."

Here's how you can tell. First, the email says your Visa debit card ending in XXXX—there's not actual numbers. Also, look at who's sending the message. Call your bank to confirm if those 7charges are there. 

"The scammers are banking on you panicking and 8reaching out immediately without thinking." 

While some payment apps offer protections, existing laws don't require banks to reimburse customers who 9authorize 10transactions to scammers. But a group of Democratic lawmakers are hoping to change that. During a 11hearing last month, they asked leaders of some of the biggest banks about these scams and want to see them do more to protect consumers. 

"If you're 12reimbursing, then you have a financial 13incentive to 14impose stronger measures." 

They've introduced a new bill that would protect consumers who were 15defrauded when they make payments to scam artists on platforms like Zelle and Venmo.