Upwork Account Banned — Zelle payment sent to wrong person

I'm in a difficult situation and trying to figure out my next steps.

Zelle payment sent to wrong person. I've been dealing with this for about 6 months now and the situation isn't improving.

The amount being held/disputed is approximately $3,742. I have tried contacting customer support 3 times with no resolution.

Should I hire a lawyer for this or try to handle it myself?

Sent $2,500 via Zelle to the wrong phone number (typo'd one digit). The money went to a stranger who won't return it. My bank says Zelle transfers are instantaneous and can't be reversed. Zelle's customer service says it's between me and the recipient. I have the person's name (Zelle shows it) but they're ghosting me. Any legal recourse?

@ZelleMistake_Adam — The recipient keeping your money is unjust enrichment — they received funds they weren't entitled to. Your options: (1) Formal demand letter — you have the person's name from Zelle. Use a people search service to find their address and send a certified demand letter giving them 10 days to return the funds. (2) Small claims court — file an unjust enrichment claim. You have strong evidence: the Zelle transaction record showing the payment, your intended recipient's information showing the typo, and the recipient's refusal to return the funds. (3) Police report — in many jurisdictions, knowingly keeping mistakenly sent funds is theft by retention. A police report may motivate the recipient to return the money. (4) CFPB/bank complaint — while banks technically aren't required to reverse Zelle payments, regulatory pressure sometimes motivates them to intervene. The Zelle system's lack of consumer protections has been the subject of significant Congressional scrutiny.