Venmo scams: fake fraud calls, stranger payments and phishing texts
Quick answer
If someone calls, texts or emails as 'Venmo fraud', or a stranger sends you money and asks for it back, it's a scam. Venmo says its agents never ask for your verification code. Don't send money back yourself: contact Venmo Support in the app.
- Comes by
- Phone call, Text, Email, App
- Pretends to be
- Venmo
- Last updated
How it works
Venmo's own help center lists several common scams. The ones people search for most:
- A call pretending to be Venmo. The caller says there's fraud on your account and asks for the verification code Venmo texted you. Venmo says an agent will never ask for that code, never ask for remote access to your device, or to install an app.
- A payment from a stranger. Money lands in your account, then the sender says it was a mistake and asks you to send it back. Venmo's advice is not to return it or move it yourself and to contact Support instead.
- Fake friend requests. Someone copies a friend's profile picture and asks for money. Venmo suggests checking the profile's transaction history and contacting your friend outside Venmo.
- Check swaps. Someone asks you to take a check and send a Venmo payment in exchange. The check can bounce after you've sent the money.
- Phishing emails and texts. A message made to look like Venmo sends you to a fake login page. Venmo says real emails come from a venmo.com address.
What they want is your login, your code, or money you send yourself.
Red flags
- Anyone asking for the code Venmo texted you
- A stranger who sends you money and asks you to send it back
- A friend request or message asking for money from a profile you can't check with the real person
- A request to install an app or give remote access to your device
- An email or text with a link, from an address that isn't venmo.com
- Someone offering to swap a check for a Venmo payment
Example message
Venmo Security: unusual activity was detected on your account. To keep it from being limited, verify your identity at [link] or call [phone number].
What to do
- 1
Hang up and don't share codes
Never read out a verification code. If you're worried, open the Venmo app yourself and check your activity.
- 2
Don't send a stranger's payment back
Contact Venmo Support in the app (Me, then Settings, then Get Help, then Chat With Us) and let them handle it. Blocking the sender also helps.
- 3
Report phishing to Venmo
Forward a suspicious email as an attachment to phishing@venmo.com. For a text, screenshot it with the full phone number and send the screenshot to the same address.
- 4
If you gave a code or password, lock things down
Change your Venmo password, review recent activity, and call your bank or card issuer about any charges you didn't make.
- 5
If you sent money
Contact Venmo Support and your bank right away, then report it to the FTC.
Report it
Check if your details are exposed with Serus
Scammers find your number and address on data brokers and people-search sites. Serus removes them.
Why you got it
Scammers who send money requests or fake fraud calls need a name and a phone number that match a real account. Those are easy to pull from people-search sites and breached data.
Serus finds where your phone number and address are listed on people-search sites and other data brokers and removes them. It also alerts you when your details show up in a breach. That won't stop every message, but it leaves scammers with less to work from. If you clicked or shared anything, our guide on what to do after a data breach covers the next steps.
Common Venmo scams
- Venmo business account scam If someone says a Venmo payment is waiting until you send shipping details, or a seller wants you to pay outside Venmo's purchase protection, it's a scam. Venmo is the platform scammers pretend to be. Check the transaction in your own app, never in a screenshot or email.
- Venmo fraud prevention scam A call or text from "Venmo fraud prevention" that asks for the code sent to your phone, or tells you to send money to "secure" your account, is a scam. Venmo says it never asks for that code. Hang up, open the Venmo app yourself and use its chat to check.
- Venmo payment scam If someone says they've paid you on Venmo but you can't see the payment in the app, it's a scam. Venmo only emails from an address ending in venmo.com. Check your balance in the app, never ship or refund based on an email or screenshot.
- Venmo Facebook Marketplace scam If a Marketplace buyer says they paid you on Venmo, check your Venmo balance before you hand over the item. Never send money back to a stranger who "overpaid" or "paid by mistake". Venmo says to contact its support instead. Payment app transfers are very hard to get back.
Frequently asked
Does Venmo have a fraud hotline that calls you?
Venmo says a Venmo agent will never ask for the verification code sent to your phone. If someone calls claiming to be Venmo fraud and asks for it, hang up and use the support options in the app.
A stranger sent me money by mistake. Should I send it back?
Venmo says not to return it yourself. Contact Venmo Support instead, and block the sender.
Is Venmo a scam?
No. Venmo is a real payment app. The scams involve people pretending to be Venmo or using it to move your money.
How do I report a fake Venmo email or text?
Forward the email as an attachment to phishing@venmo.com. For a text, send a screenshot showing the full phone number to the same address.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
