Introducing Zelle^®

Zelle^® is an easy way to send money, typically within minutes with just an e-mail address or mobile phone number, even if they bank somewhere different than you do. When you enroll with Zelle^® using First Entertainment Digital Banking, we establish a connection between your e-mail address or U.S. mobile phone number and your eligible First Entertainment checking account.

• Must have a personal checking account (Value or Advantage)
  • Note: Savings accounts, Coogan Accounts, Trust Accounts, Money Market Accounts, and Business Accounts are not currently eligible for Zelle^®
  • Must be age 18 or older
• Must be enrolled and use Digital Banking
• Must not have any Court Ordered Blocks
• Must be eligible to be part of the Zelle^® Network
• Membership extend past 90 days

How to Enroll in Zelle^®:

1. Log in to Digital Banking.
   • On Desktop: Select Transfer and Pay from the drop-down tab, then choose Send Money with Zelle^®.
   • On Mobile: Tap the Zelle^® widget in the bottom center menu.
2. Select Get Started.
3. Read and accept the terms and conditions.
4. Choose your preferred token (email address or mobile number).
5. Enter the one-time passcode sent to your chosen email or mobile number.
6. Link Zelle^® to your personal checking account to complete setup.

You can use Zelle^® to send money typically within minutes with just an e-mail address or mobile phone number, even if they bank somewhere different than you do. Eligibility requirements may vary depending on where your recipient banks. For your protection, you should only use Zelle^® when sending money to people you know and trust, such as friends and family. (Note: You can’t use prepaid cards to send money with Zelle^®.)

Check with your recipient to ensure their correct e-mail address or U.S. mobile phone number is enrolled in Zelle^® so they can receive money.

Zelle^® and other popular digital payment apps make sending or receiving money convenient. But criminals are taking advantage of the platform to scam people into sending them money.

Here are a few tips to protect yourself and your money when using peer-to-peer digital payment services like Zelle^®:

1. Treat Zelle^® like cash. Zelle^® does not offer a protection program for authorized transactions that turn out to be fraudulent, and once you hand over payment, it is difficult or impossible to get it back.
2. Send money only to people you trust. Never send money to any stranger who contacts you through social media, claims to be from a government agency or First Entertainment, or asks you to send money to yourself.
3. Never share your log-in credentials. Refrain from sharing your Digital Banking user ID or password with anyone under any circumstances.
4. Double-check your payment details. If you erroneously send money to the wrong person or in the incorrect amount, or as a part of a scam, it may be impossible to get back.
5. Use unique credentials. Protect your account by using a unique password within the First Entertainment mobile app. It is easier to use one password across many apps, but that heightens your vulnerability.
6. Get familiar with the interface. Zelle^® is primarily used for quick payments, and when you use it for the first time, you may make errors. Practice using the service by sending and receiving $1 with a trusted family member or friend.
7. Raise a red flag on urgent payment requests. Sense-of-urgency and scare tactics are major red flags, such as a caller claiming to be from a company you do business with and threatening to shut off service if you don’t make a payment immediately.
8. Protect your account. If your phone has been lost or stolen or if you notice suspicious activity with your online accounts, contact First Entertainment Member Services at 888.800.3328 or fill out the Zelle^® Dispute Form.

1. Fake Fraud Alerts Texts Verifying Zelle^®. Recently, some members have reported receiving fraud alert texts regarding Zelle^® transactions. This alert is not from the credit union. It is coming from fraudsters impersonating us to acquire members’ online banking information. If successful, they may use Zelle^® to begin sending money from the members’ accounts to their account.
2. Depositing Checks from Unknown Sources. Fraudsters ask for a check to be deposited into your account and promise you can keep some of the money. The checks are often counterfeit and will be returned by the financial institution even after funds were made available.
3. Requests for Personal Account Information: Scammers may mimic an account alert via email or text or call and pose as a First Entertainment employee so they can gain information like passwords or one-time passcodes and access your account.
4. Offering an Item for Sale Online. Cyber criminals may offer something for sale and then ask for money to be sent as a deposit or for shipping and processing fees.
5. Online Job Postings. Fraudsters may advertise false opportunities on job boards or social media. They will then send applicants a bad check to be deposited into their account. The fraudsters then request that a portion of the funds be immediately returned due to overpayment or for supplies, etc. The check is usually returned as fraudulent.
6. Lottery Schemes. Fraudsters claim that they have won the lottery and offer to share a portion of the winnings if you to pay a processing fee or send a portion of funds back after using the same check deposit scheme above.

Zelle Emotional Scare Tactics
In these scenarios, scammers create fake stories to drive an emotional reaction, such as:

• Excitement: People often enter and win sweepstakes. Scammers will say you need to pay a fee before they can send your prize.
• Fear: Taxpayers sometimes owe money to the IRS, but the IRS doesn’t accept payments via Zelle^®.
• Compassion: Friends and relatives sometimes ask for money. It’s a major red flag when someone pressures you to keep the transaction a secret.

​Reminder: Sending funds via Zelle is like using cash – once funds are sent, it can be very difficult or impossible to recover them. Zelle does not offer the same protections as using a credit or debit card. First Entertainment highly recommends that members use Zelle to send money only to people they know and trust. Once you send funds using Zelle, we cannot guarantee those funds can be returned.

To Recover Your Username:

1. You may attempt to dispute a transaction sent via Zelle, but First Entertainment cannot guarantee the return of those funds.
   • A Zelle transaction can be disputed up to 120 days from the transaction date.
   • A Zelle dispute will be researched and resolved within 7 business days.
2. To dispute a transaction:
   • Log in to your Digital Banking account.
   • Go to More Services > Submit a Dispute.
   • Select the account where the transaction posted.
   • Under Transaction Method, choose Zelle.
3. Provide all requested details about the transaction, including the date, amount, recipient, and a brief description of the issue.
4. Once submitted, your dispute will be routed to our Zelle Dispute Team for review.
5. Please allow up to 7 business days for the dispute attempt to be completed. If funds are recoverable, they will be returned.

If you believe the transaction is fraudulent, please call us immediately at 888.800.3328.

As of March 31, 2025, all users must be enrolled through one of the more than 2,200 banks and credit unions that offer Zelle^® in order to send and receive money. You can find a full list of participating banks and credit unions live with Zelle^® at Zellepay.com. If their bank or credit union is not listed, we recommend you use another payment method at this time.