Dallas Kicks Off Second Year of Consumer Action and Zelle® Consumer Protection Community Advocacy Empowerment Initiative

DALLAS, Texas – Zelle® and Consumer Action launched the second year of their national scam and fraud consumer protection tour in Dallas, bringing hands-on training and resources directly to community leaders working on the front lines of consumer protection.

The Dallas workshop marked the first stop this year of a multi-city tour, building on last year’s events in New York City and Los Angeles. Designed to move beyond awareness, the program equips local organizations with practical tools to teach them how to help people in their communities recognize, avoid, and report scams before financial harm occurs.

Criminals often create fake profiles using stolen or AI-generated photos and build emotional connections over time. Many of these scams are run at scale by organized criminal networks, both domestic and foreign. Before money ever comes up, the damage is already happening at the identity level.

“Scams don’t start when money moves. They start with criminals manipulating people into trusting them,” said Mary-Helen McElfresh, vice president of smart payments for Zelle. “What we saw in Dallas reinforced how critical trusted local leaders are in empowering customers to avoid being scammed. When communities have the right knowledge, they’re better equipped to protect themselves.”

Since its launch, the initiative has trained nearly 100 community advocates across three U.S. cities, strengthening local capacity to protect consumers in an increasingly complex digital payments environment.

“Scammers adapt quickly, and we have to continue to educate our communities to keep pace,” said Anna Flores, executive director of Consumer Action. “By providing up-to-date, multilingual education tools to community leaders, we help ensure consumers feel confident spotting and resisting fraud.”

The Dallas event also featured a presentation from Dr. Jennifer Lawrence, DSW, LICSW, of FightCybercrime.org, who addressed how advocates can better support consumers. Her session focused on recognizing signs of active scams, responding effectively, and understanding the shame and isolation many criminal fraud victims experience.

The Dallas stop officially kicked off the 2026 leg of the tour. The next workshop is scheduled for West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 9.
 

About Zelle®

Zelle® powers fast, reliable person-to-person digital payments, moving more than $1 trillion between millions of consumer and small business accounts at United States banks and credit unions. Available through a network of more than 2,300 financial institutions, Zelle® enables people to send and receive money directly – without cash, checks or third-party apps. Zelle® is owned and operated by Early Warning Services, LLC, which works with America’s banks, credit unions and government agencies to drive prosperity, deliver bold innovation and improve how payments are made. Learn more at www.zelle.com.