A TikTok user went viral after sharing a story of how she was accused of trying to scam a wealthy seller on Facebook Marketplace after Zelle didn’t instantly process her payment.
Joan (@justpeers) posted the video on Sept. 2, where she explained how she went to pick up a $20 TV stand from a “rich woman” living in a loft in Williamsburg. After sending the payment via Zelle, an online payment service, the payment didn’t immediately show up in the woman’s account.
@justpeers she got the money, just took 3 minutes…. #brooklyn #nyc #nycgirlytok #fbmarketplace ♬ original sound – joan
According to Joan, the woman immediately turned suspicious, and accused Joan of scamming her.
“She was accusing me of not Zelling her because the Zelle wasn’t receiving on her end so much that she thought I photoshopped the Zelle transaction and asked for a screenshot from my bank account itself,” Joan said in the video.
Joan also pointed out that the TV stand was not worth much. “If you didn’t know Ikea furniture actively loses its value the second that you buy it. If you’re buying like Ikea furniture within the last decade that’s not a cool collection,” she said, questioning why someone who’s reportedly “well off” would create a fuss over $20.
The video has since gone viral, amassing more than 4.7 million views. Many viewers commented on the video sharing their own stories of dealing with rich people who were allegedly acting stingy or rude.
“My super rich friend is the only one who has requested money from me on an app immediately after she pays for something of mine. It’s weird,” one commenter said.
“My rich friend told me she wanted to plan a six flags trip for my birthday and said I could clean her house for a week to ‘earn’ my ticket,” a user second added.
However, not everyone was on the TikToker’s side, with one user writing, “Bestie we’ve been scammed like this so many times that we do get defensive.”
Another commenter asked for a “part 2” wondering how the situation got resolved, which prompted Joan to post a follow-up TikTok. The onscreen caption read, “she did get a text saying that she received the zelle so I didn’t have to send her a screenshot of my USAA app which is good bc she would’ve seen that after that zelle I only had $100 in my acct…”
TikTokers have previously warned each other about Facebook Marketing scams, including those that utilize Zelle. The payment platform has a “Fraud & Scams Overview” page on its website, which includes information and resources for individuals caught up in a number of different schemes.
The Daily Dot reached out to Joan via email for comment.