Fake Cash App / Zelle payment pending claim phishing — "you have a pending payment of $XXX — log in to claim" + or account verification required to release held funds + or overpayment refund scam + real Cash App/Zelle never email unsolicited pending claim notifications

Phishing emails impersonating Cash App or Zelle with fake "pending payment" notifications — the most common variant claims the recipient has a payment waiting to be claimed and must log in to their Cash App or banking account to receive it. Other variants claim the account requires verification to release held funds, or that an overpayment was made and the victim must "refund" the excess via Zelle. All lead to credential harvesting or direct financial loss. Key facts: (1) The FTC reports peer-to-peer payment app impersonation causes hundreds of millions in losses annually — Zelle fraud alone exceeded $440M in reported losses in 2023; (2) Neither Cash App nor Zelle sends unsolicited "payment pending — claim now" emails — incoming payments are credited immediately without any claim step; (3) The overpayment variant is especially dangerous: victims send real money via Zelle while the "received payment" was never real; (4) Cash App (Square) sends receipts from @square.com or @cash.app — never from cashapp-notifications.net, zelle-payment-center.com, etc.; (5) Real Zelle notifications come from the recipient's own bank (chase.com, bankofamerica.com) and report already-completed transfers. Warning signs: non-official sender domain, "claim within 24/48 hours" urgency, request to log in to receive money, overpayment + refund framing.