YEAR-OLD WENT HORRIBLY WRONG. BUT FIRST, IF I LET THAT GO, THAT'S BASICALLY SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW. >> WELL, I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS KIND BANK ACCOUNTS DRAINED BY THAT GUY'S USING ZELLE 8 ON YOUR SIDE INVESTIGATES HOW CROOKS ARE USING THE APP TO STEAL YOUR MONEY AND WHO'S ON THE HOOK. IF YOU GET HIT. >> AND WE'RE WORKING ON IT. WE'RE WORKING TO CHANGE THE LAW TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT'S THE BANK THAT'S RESPONSIBLE. IT'S THE BANK THAT'S LIABLE. NOT THE CUSTOMER. >> BETTER CALL BEHNKEN UNCOVERING HOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE MANAGED TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK. >> GOOD EVENING. I'M STACEY SHOT AND I'M KEITH CATE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. ONLINE MONEY TRANSFER SYSTEMS LIKE ZELL HAVE BECOME THE HOT WAY TO PAY OWNED BY 7 OF THE NATION'S LARGEST BANKS. ZALE COULD BE CONNECTED TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT EVEN IF YOU NEVER USE IT. >> CRITICS WARN IT MAY ALSO GIVE CROOKS A NEW WAY TO STEAL YOUR MONEY. 8 ON YOUR SIDE. CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR SHANNON BEHNKEN JOINS US WITH WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. >> STACY KEACH UNDER FEDERAL LAW WHEN A CROOK STEALS YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION AND RACKS UP CHARGES, YOU ARE NOT HELD RESPONSIBLE. BUT IN THIS HIGH-TECH AGE, MANY CROOKS CHOSEN METHOD OF FRAUD ISELLE. THE BIG DIFFERENCE HERE, YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED PROTECTION. >> YOU MAY REMEMBER SCOTT SCHAEFER'S GUT-WRENCHING STORY. I'M LOOKING AT MY ACCOUNT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MONEY. >> IS BEING TRANSFERRED TO SOMEONE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THEY ARE TO TRANSACTIONS TOTALING $9,000 WHEN HIS BANK DENIED HIS CLAIM SAYING IT APPEARED HE AUTHORIZED THE TRANSFERS. HE FOUGHT BACK AND CALLED BETTER CALL BEHNKEN. IF I LET THAT GO, THAT'S BASICALLY SAYING, WELL, YOU KNOW. >> I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AND I'M NOT AT FIRST CHASE BANK STOOD BEHIND ITS DENIALS. BUT I KEPT DIGGING. 6 MONTHS LATER, THE PINELLAS PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT FOUND THE SUSPECT IN NEW YORK AND CHASE RELENTED. >> GIVING SCHAEFER EVERY PENNY BACK. CHANNEL 8 >> YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND TENACIOUS. IT'S A LETHAL AND YOU KEPT ON IT. YOU DIDN'T GIVE YOUR FOLLOW-UPS. AND I THINK CHASE FINALLY REALIZE THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. >> SHAFFER IS ONE OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE REPORTED LOSING MONEY THROUGH THE ONLINE PAYMENT SYSTEM. ZELLE FOR SOME THE BAD GUYS HACK INTO THEIR DEVICES. OTHERS FALL FOR TRICKS AND KNOWINGLY ALLOW THE CROKE TO USE ELSE TO TRANSFER MONEY. RIGHT NOW, ZELL FRAUD FALLS IN A GRAY AREA WHILE SOME VICTIMS EVENTUALLY GET THEIR MONEY BACK. MANY DON'T. SPEAKING OF A GAR IS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. A CROOK PRETENDED TO BE DUKE ENERGY AND SWINDLED HER OUT OF $278. HER BANK DENIED HER FOR A CLAIM. THEY TOLD ME, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T REFUND AND ZELLE. >> WIND, WHY DON'T YOU DIDN'T YOU GET THEIR BANK TENSION OF PERSON. IT YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE BANK. THE FACT THAT THEY EVEN PUT IT ON THEIR WEBSITE. TELLS ME THAT THEY INTEREST IN THEM. A RECENT CONGRESSIONAL REPORT SHOW THAT OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS FOR MAJOR BANKS REPORTED VALE 5 CASES OF 192,878. THAT REPRESENTS TOTAL LOSSES OF 213 MILLION DOLLARS AND HAVE ALL OF THOSE CASES. BANKS REIMBURSE CONSUMERS IN JUST 3500 CASES AND MERS WENSKE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL CONSUMER PROGRAM HEARD IS AMONG THOSE PUSHING FOR BANKS TO TREAT ZELL FRAUD LIKE CREDIT CARD FRAUD AND REIMBURSE CONSUMERS. IF THE BANKS WERE RESPONSIBLE, THEY FIGURE IT OUT LIKE NOW. >> THEY FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT LESS PROBABLE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE FRAUD IN THE PAST YEAR. CONSUMER ADVOCATES AND SOME IN CONGRESS HAVE CALLED OUT SALE AND THE BANK SAID OWN IT. >> SEEKING MORE PROTECTIONS FROM FRAUD AND SCAMS BECAUSE IT'S OWNED BY 7 OF THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST BANKS. >> THE BANKS SHOULD NOT ALL OF THEIR PROBLEMS ON THEIR CUSTOMERS. BANKS SHOULD NOT ONLY HELP CONSUMERS WHEN A TV REPORTER CALLS THEM THANKS, SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THIS SYSTEM WORK BETTER. >> WITH ANY PEER TO PEER PAYMENT APP, IT'S BEST TO USE IT ONLY TO PAY FRIENDS. DO NOT PAY BUSINESSES, DON'T PAY YOUR BILLS THIS WAY. CROOKS STEAL YOUR MONEY TOO WAYS USING ZELLE EITHER BY AN OUTRIGHT HACK. AND THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT THAT OTHER THAN BEING CAREFUL ON WHAT YOU CLICK ON ONLINE WHEN IT COMES TO TRICKS, YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR GUARD UP. IF SOMEONE CALLS SAYING THAT THEIR COMPANY AND THAT THEY'RE YOUR BANK AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR SENSITIVE INFORMATION. YOU NEED TO HANG UP. YOU NEED TO CALL THE BANK NUMBER RIGHT AWAY AND CALL THE NUMBER. THAT'S ON THE BACK OF YOUR CREDIT CARD OR DEBIT CARD. >> SO, SHANNON, IF IF MONEY IS STOLEN THIS WEEK FROM YOU, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF GETTING THAT MONEY BACK? WELL, THERE ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING YOUR MONEY BACK. YOU NEED TO REPORT IT RIGHT AWAY. YOU REPORTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. YOU NEED TO REPORT IT TO THE BANK NEED TO REPORT IT TO THE FBI, THE CHANCES OF GETTING YOUR MONEY BACK ARE FAR GREATER. IF YOU GET ALL 3 OF THOSE ENTITIES INVOLVED RIGHT AWAY, A LOT OF WORK. AND IF YOU GET THE 4TH ONE, IT'S BETTER CALL BEHNKEN. THAT'S RIGHT. THING YOU. THIS IS SERIOUSLY THE I MEAN, THIS MAN HAS $9,000, BUT IT WAS BECAUSE YOU HAD TO GET INVOLVED AND LIKE THE THE GENTLEMAN YOU INTERVIEWED SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. IF BANKS ARE ALMOST RUBBER STAMPS LOOKS GOOD TO US. >> THEY SHOULD BACK IT UP. IT TOOK ME A LOT OF MONTHS, A LOT OF WORK TO GET THE MONEY BACK FOR THAT MAN. AND THERE'S A LOT OF OTH
