Not really, there is as much fraud protection as ACH. If you’re will to make use of direct deposits and ACH transfers, you can use Zelle. Just don’t expect to be handled with kid gloves.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/business/payments-fraud-z...
> Zelle’s immediacy has also made it a favorite of fraudsters. Other types of bank transfers or transactions involving payment cards typically take at least a day to clear. But once crooks scare or trick victims into handing over money via Zelle, they can siphon away thousands of dollars in seconds. There’s no way for customers — and in many cases, the banks themselves — to retrieve the money.
> The banks are aware of the widespread fraud on Zelle. When Mr. Faunce called Wells Fargo to report the crime, the customer service representative told him, “A lot of people are getting scammed on Zelle this way.”
Even Zelle says so:
> Zelle® does not offer a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle® - for example, if you make a purchase using Zelle®, but you do not receive the item or the item is not as described or as you expected.
Source: https://www.zellepay.com/faq/im-unsure-about-using-zelle-pay...