Common scams and how to be prepared

Venmo is built to make sending and receiving money fast and simple, and that same speed is part of what can make it a target for scammers. The good news is that most scams follow a small number of predictable patterns. Below are some scams to watch for, and the simple habits that can help stop them before they start.

How Venmo helps protect your transactions

• Encryption and fraud monitoring: Venmo encrypts your financial information and monitors transactions around the clock for signs of fraud. If Venmo flags unusual activity on your account, it can pause a transaction or ask you to confirm you're in control of your account and that you're the one making the transaction before money moves.
• PIN and Face ID or Touch ID: you can lock the app with a PIN or your phone's biometric login, so even if someone gets hold of your phone, they can't open Venmo without your permission.
• Purchase Protection: eligible purchases made from a Venmo account or Venmo business profile may be covered by Purchase Protection¹, which can refund you if an item never arrives or doesn't match its description.
• Privacy controls: Venmo transactions are public by default, but you can switch your account to private in Settings > Privacy, which hides your payment history and notes from public view.

Scams to know

The fake "accidental payment" scam

Someone sends you money and says it was a mistake, then asks you to send it back right away, often to a different account than the one that paid you. If you send money to an account you don't know, you're responsible for that payment and it can't be reversed.

What to do: Exercise caution when sending money to a stranger. If a payment really was sent to you by mistake, Venmo support can help reverse it safely. Decline the payment request and contact Venmo Customer Service.

Overpayment scams

This one usually starts with a legitimate-looking sale on a marketplace. The buyer sends more than the agreed price, then asks you to send back the difference before the original payment is confirmed as real. Once you send money back, the original payment can be reversed or reported as unauthorized, so you can lose both the money you sent back and the payment for your sale.

What to do: Do not refund the buyer and contact the marketplace Customer Service line to make sure the sale is legitimate.

Phishing emails and fake Venmo Support

Scammers send emails or texts that look like they're from Venmo, warning about a locked account or a suspicious login, and asking you to click a link or share a verification code. Venmo will never ask for personal information, your password or a one-time code through email, text, or phone.

What to do: Do not click any links in the email. Open the Venmo app directly, or type venmo.com into your browser, rather than clicking a link in a message. Forward suspicious emails to phishing@venmo.com and delete the original email message.

Romance and social engineering scams

These build over time. Someone you've only met online develops a relationship with you, then eventually asks for money, often framed as an emergency. Because it plays out over weeks or months, it can feel more convincing than a one-off scam message.

What to do: Try to be cautious about sending money to anyone you haven't met in person, no matter how long you've been talking.

Fake buyer or seller scams

A "buyer" pays for an item, then disputes the payment after you've shipped it, or a "seller" takes payment and never delivers. These scams are common for high-demand items like concert tickets or pet deposits.

What to do: Try to use Venmo mainly with people you know. If you're selling to a stranger, consider asking for cash.

How to protect yourself

• Turn on a PIN, Face ID, or Touch ID for the app
• Never send money back to someone who says they paid you by mistake. Let Venmo Support handle it
• Only pay people and businesses you know and trust
• When you're buying, pay a Venmo account or Venmo business profile where you can, so eligible purchases can be covered by Purchase Protection
• Double check payment requests before approving them, even if they appear to come from a friend
• Never share your password or a one-time verification code with anyone, including someone claiming to be Venmo Support
• Set your account to private in Settings > Privacy

What to do if you think you've been scammed

If you think you’ve sent money to a scammer, contact Venmo Support right away through Settings > Get help > Chat with us. Venmo can investigate unauthorized transactions and can take action against accounts used for fraud. Any payment you approved yourself, such as one sent to a fake buyer or seller, may not be reversible. Reporting it quickly also helps prevent the same scammer from reaching other users. You can also report the incident to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.