What are the most common Venmo scams?
Fraudsters use various tactics to manipulate or threaten users into transferring funds to them. Below are some of the most common Venmo scams you need to know about.
| Scam type | How it works |
|---|---|
Venmo email scams | Scammers send fake emails that lead to phishing pages, malicious attachments, or fake support numbers. |
Venmo impersonation scams | Scammers pretend to be a friend, family member, company, government agency, or Venmo support representative. |
Venmo call scams | Scammers call pretending to be Venmo and ask for verification codes, account details, or urgent payments. |
Overpayment scams | A scammer sends too much money, often from a stolen account, then asks you to refund the difference. |
Facebook Marketplace Venmo scams | A fake buyer or seller uses Venmo to collect deposits, fake payments, or overpayments for Marketplace items. |
Prize or job scams | Scammers claim you won a prize or got a job, then ask you to pay a fee through Venmo. |
Venmo business account scams | Scammers target sellers with fake payment confirmations, upgrade fees, or requests for verification codes. |
Romance scams | A fake romantic interest builds trust, then asks for money through Venmo for an emergency or visit. |
AI scams | Scammers use AI-generated messages, fake voices, or convincing profiles to make Venmo scams harder to spot. |
Blackmail or extortion scams | Scammers threaten to share private information unless you send money through Venmo. |
Venmo email scams
Venmo email scams typically rely on spoofing or phishing. The email may look like it came from Venmo, but its real goal is to steal your login details, payment information, or verification code.
These emails create urgency, pressuring you to act quickly without verifying the legitimacy of the request. Some may contain malicious links or direct you to a fake website where scammers try to capture your account details.
PRO TIP
Don’t click links in unexpected Venmo emails. Open the Venmo app or type venmo.com into your browser yourself. If the message looks suspicious, forward it to [email protected] and delete it.
Venmo impersonation scams
Venmo impersonation scams occur when someone pretends to be a person or organization you trust to request money. This can include a friend, family member, landlord, bank, government agency, buyer, seller, or Venmo support.
This fraud is common across payment apps, including Cash App and Zelle scams, and is closely linked to broader impersonation scams.
PRO TIP
Verify the request outside Venmo before paying. Call, text, or message the person through a contact method you trust.
Venmo call scams
Venmo call scams usually start with someone claiming to be from Venmo support. The caller may want to talk about suspicious activity, a failed transaction, a frozen balance, or a security issue on your account.
These tactics aim to get you to engage and share personal or financial information, which the scammer can then use for identity theft.
PRO TIP
Avoid answering calls from unknown or unverifiable numbers. If you answer, hang up and contact Venmo through the app. If the call seems suspicious, send the number and details to [email protected].
Overpayment scams
A Venmo overpayment scam involves a scammer sending you too much money, often from a stolen account, and then asking you to refund the “excess.” If you send the money, Venmo will eventually reverse the original payment, leaving you to lose the money you sent to the scammer and the funds from the initial "overpayment."
In a real-life incident from March 2023, Colorado Springs resident Maria Thompson [1] listed a couch for sale online for $800. A buyer contacted her and "accidentally" sent $1,600 via Venmo, immediately messaging her to ask for the $800 overpayment back. After Maria kindly refunded the extra money, the original $1,600 payment was flagged as fraudulent and removed from her account, leaving her out $800 of her own money.
PRO TIP
Don’t refund unexpected money from someone you don’t know. Contact Venmo support immediately to review or reverse the payment.
Facebook Marketplace Venmo scams
Facebook Marketplace Venmo scams target people buying or selling second-hand items. If you’re buying, the scammer may send fake shipping information or ask you to pay upfront through Venmo before showing or shipping the item. After you pay, the listing disappears. If you’re selling, the scammer may send a fake Venmo payment screenshot, overpay you, or pay using stolen credit card or bank info. If the real account owner reports unauthorized activity, the money may be removed from your Venmo account.
PRO TIP
Don’t ship or hand over an item until the payment appears in your Venmo account, not just in an email or screenshot. For purchases from strangers, use payment options with buyer protection.
Prize or job scams
Prize scams claim you’ve won free money or a gift card but require a “processing fee.” These fees are never returned. Once the transaction is completed through Venmo, you can’t reclaim the money. These schemes often overlap with job scams. A fake employer may ask you to pay for training, equipment, background checks, or software via Venmo.
A documented case from May 2024 involved a 56-year-old Brooklyn woman[2] who was tricked by a social media advertisement claiming she had won a $750 Venmo giveaway. To claim the prize, she was directed to a site that stole her credentials and led to her account being drained of thousands of dollars before she could report the fraud.
PRO TIP
Legitimate employers and prize organizers don’t ask you to pay through Venmo to get paid. Search the company name with words like “scam” or “complaint.” If the offer depends on upfront payment, walk away.
Venmo business account scams
Venmo business account scams target people who sell goods or services on Venmo. Scammers know sellers await payments, so they create fake messages resembling payment confirmations, account alerts, or business profile notices.
A scammer may claim:
- Your payment is pending until you ship the item.
- Your business account needs an upgrade fee.
- You need to provide a verification code.
PRO TIP
Check payments only inside the Venmo app or official website. Don’t trust screenshots, forwarded emails, or messages claiming money is “pending” until you act. Never share login codes with customers.
Romance scams
Romance scams occur when a scammer develops a fake emotional relationship with a victim to gain their trust before asking for money via Venmo. They may say they need money for travel, medical fees, or other made-up expenses. Some scammers also claim they want to visit but need help paying for transport, documents, or hotel bookings.
In a high-profile case reported in 2025, a Montana woman named Rita [3] lost $90,000 over the course of several months. She had been chatting with someone she believed was a famous celebrity who "fell in love" with her. The scammer requested numerous Venmo payments for various "emergencies" and travel costs to visit her, none of which ever happened.
PRO TIP
Don’t send Venmo payments to someone you only know online. If they ask for money, pause and speak to someone you trust before responding.
AI scams
Venmo has introduced AI capabilities to its payment platform to help catch scammers, but scammers also use AI to better target victims. AI tools make many scams look more legitimate.
In early 2024, a Brooklyn couple [4] was featured in a report after receiving a terrifying phone call from what sounded exactly like their daughter and son-in-law. The "relatives" claimed they were being held for ransom and needed thousands of dollars sent via Venmo immediately. The voices were so perfectly cloned by AI that the couple believed the threat was real until they were able to verify their family members were safe.
PRO TIP
Don’t judge a Venmo request by how polished or realistic it sounds. Verify the request through another trusted channel, like calling the person directly.
Blackmail or extortion scams
Blackmail and extortion scams use fear to force victims to pay via Venmo. Scammers may claim they have private photos, messages, browsing history, or personal info. They may threaten to send it to your contacts unless you pay.
Some threats are completely fake. Others may involve stolen images, hacked personal accounts, or information exposed in an old data breach.
PRO TIP
Don’t pay blackmailers. Save screenshots, stop responding, report the account, and contact local authorities if threatened. If your personal info may be exposed, secure your accounts and protect yourself from further fraud.
How to stay safe on Venmo
To keep using Venmo while minimizing scam risk, take some measures to protect yourself and your funds:
- Follow security best practices. Use strong, unique passwords generated by a password manager and keep your devices and software updated.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication. MFA adds another layer of protection beyond your password. You can enable it in your Venmo settings.
- Keep your private information private. Don’t share your Venmo password, verification codes, bank details, card information, or other sensitive details with anyone you don’t fully trust.
- Check suspicious messages inside the app. Phishing is a common tactic used by Venmo scammers, and AI helps create messages that appear highly convincing and human-like. Check Venmo alerts inside the app, not through links in emails, texts, or DMs.
- Use a credit card when appropriate. Credit cards generally provide stronger consumer fraud protections and more robust chargeback options. Keep in mind that Venmo charges a fee (usually ~3%) for person-to-person payments made with a credit card.
- Monitor your credit account. If your Venmo is linked to a credit card, regularly check statements for unauthorized or suspicious transactions.
- Use an identity theft protection service. To further prevent identity theft, consider investing in an identity theft protection service like Coveron. It continuously monitors the dark web and alerts you if your identity or personal details have been leaked. It also helps monitor your credit accounts.
Get notified and act immediately.
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FAQ
References
- C3 Insurance: Case Study of Colorado Springs Resident Maria Thompson, https://c3insurance.com/12-real-life-venmo-scams-you-need-to-know-about/
- Instagram/News Report: Brooklyn woman loses thousands in Venmo giveaway scam, https://www.instagram.com/reels/C6zrrW4pFnw/
- FBI: Romance scam victim Rita from Montana tells her story, https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/saltlakecity/news/romance-scam-victim-tells-her-story-warns-others-to-be-vigilant
- The New Yorker: The terrifying AI scam that uses your loved one's voice, https://www.newyorker.com/science/annals-of-artificial-intelligence/the-terrifying-ai-scam-that-uses-your-loved-ones-voice
