Venmo is one of the most popular payment apps used to send and receive money for personal and business transactions alike. As with any financial platform, however, hackers and scammers in 2026 use it to commit fraud and target users for Venmo scams.
Keep reading to learn what a Venmo scam is, how it works, and the most popular scams. You’ll also discover how to spot scams and how to keep your money safe.
What is a Venmo scam?
A Venmo scam is any type of financial scam that uses Venmo to steal money or personal information through social engineering or phishing.
This type of scam is surging, with 83% of payment app users reporting that they experienced at least one scam, a 15% jump year-over-year. The same year, the FTC logged near $400 million in losses from payment app fraud and over 90,000 complaints.
Worried about scams online?
Is Venmo safe?
Venmo is technically secure and safe to use. It has many built-in features to bolster security; it uses encryption, 2FA, and PIN/biometric locks. But even in 2026, the security features don’t eliminate the risks of scams or social engineering attacks.
Venmo’s instant and irreversible payments make it a prime target for scammers looking to exploit user panic. Once the money leaves your account, it’s gone for good.
Another risk to using Venmo is that your funds are not FDIC-insured, meaning they aren’t protected against fraudulent transactions the way funds in a bank are. Plus, Venmo’s social media-like feed is public by default. This exposes your transaction history and spending habits, so it’s best to either make it private or limit it to friends-only.
How does a Venmo scam work?
Venmo scams come in many forms and work differently. However, the main goal is to get you to send money to scammers. Attackers use phishing emails, text messages, and calls, or they may even connect with you on social media to attempt to trick you into sending money via Venmo because they know you won’t be able to get it back.
Types of Venmo scams in 2026
Cyber thieves are clever creatures who have dreamed up many different types of scams to steal money. Some of the most common Venmo scams work as follows.
Venmo business account scams
One way scammers use Venmo to get money is to send you an email claiming that your account is limited and you can’t send or receive money. You need to upgrade to a business account for a one-time fee (an amount around $250 or however much the scammer thinks they can get). They instruct you to pay the amount via Venmo, and you’ll be all set. The problem is that the entire thing is fake, and any money you send goes to a scammer.
Venmo scam text messages
Scammers can send text messages pretending to be Venmo customer support agents, claiming that they’ve detected some suspicious activity on your account. They urge you to act fast, which may lead you to click a malicious link that takes you to a fake Venmo site that harvests your credentials.
Once they have your login credentials or have infected your device with malware, they can log in to your account and drain your funds. Moonlock adds an extra layer of protection by checking text messages and flagging potential phishing attempts based on common warning signs.
Facebook Marketplace Venmo scams
Facebook Marketplace is an online shopping mecca frequented by millions of users. For scammers, it’s also full of targets ripe for the picking. In one common scam, the scammer posts a product on Facebook Marketplace, and when you message them to ask about it, they instruct you to pay in advance via Venmo. If you pay before picking up the product, however, you’ll never see it. In many cases, the ad was fake from the start.
Fake payment receipts and other confirmation scams
Scammers may send doctored screenshots or emails mimicking a Venmo payment confirmation in an attempt to convince you that the money has been sent. This type of trick is common in marketplace transactions, tricking sellers into shipping goods before verifying the payment.
Fake job and onboarding fee scams
A scammer could pose as an employer or recruiter, offering you a job. Then they’ll ask you to pay upfront for training or equipment via Venmo. The FTC reports that over $750 million was lost due to business and employment scams in 2024 in the US alone.
Rental deposit scams
A scammer might list a fake rental property with an attractive price, using stolen photos from real estate sites. They’ll then pressure you to send them a deposit through Venmo to secure the rental.
In-person phone theft and stranger scams
Someone might approach you asking to borrow your phone to make an emergency call, but they’ll instead quickly open Venmo and transfer the funds to themselves. These scams happen fast and in public, so no phishing or malware is required.
Donation and charity scams
Scammers often create fake charity accounts on social media or pose as individuals in crises to solicit donations via Venmo. Because the payments are instant and irreversible, there’s no way to retrieve the funds once you find out it’s a scam.
Venmo scam call
It is rare that Venmo contacts its users, so if you receive a call with the caller ID listed as Venmo, it is probably a scam. Bad actors can spoof phone numbers, making it look like they come from legitimate sources. They may claim to be from customer support, alerting you that your account is in danger of being hacked and that you need to provide your login information right away so they can fix it. Their real motive is to steal and use your information so they can drain your funds.
Venmo email scams
Email is the most popular method of communication in the digital age. Hackers frequently use a Venmo phishing scam, also known as a Venmo email scam, in which they send you an urgent email claiming that there is a problem with your account that you must fix immediately.
The sender may ask you to update your payment information or verify your credentials. If you click the link, you may be taken to a fake website where any information you enter is stolen, or your device could be infected with malware.
Paper check fraud
The paper check fraud scam is an old one since most people don’t pay using checks anymore, but it still happens. The scammer sends you a check in exchange for a purchase or a service, but the check amount is for more than you requested. Claiming the discrepancy was an error, they will ask you to refund the difference via Venmo. Once you do, the check bounces, and they keep the “refund.”
Fake prizes
In this scam, you receive an email or text message claiming that you’ve won a prize. All you have to do is pay for shipping or other fees via Venmo, and it will be delivered to your door. Don’t fall for it. There is no prize.
Romance scams
In similar “sugar daddy” scams, a stranger borrows money from you over Venmo and promises to pay it back later but never does. Pig-butchering scams, meanwhile, go further, with the scammer spending weeks or even months cultivating trust before steering victims toward fake investment platforms and draining them of significant funds.
Accidental transfer and overpayment scams
In this type of scheme, a scammer will pretend to send you a payment, then claim it was made by mistake and ask you to refund it. But once you send it back, the original payment gets reversed, leaving you out of pocket for the refunded amount.
Whether it’s framed as an accidental transfer or an overpayment, the mechanism of this type of scam is identical, and you end up with less money in your account.
Does Venmo protect against scams?
The Venmo app is fully encrypted to keep prying eyes out. That said, it’s largely up to you to protect yourself when using payment platforms.
Thankfully, Venmo does include some security features like enabling Face ID and PIN codes to lock others out of the app. You can also turn on 2-factor authentication on your account to ensure that no one uses your account other than you.
Another option is to turn on private mode, so only your friends and connections will see your account. You can change your password easily from inside the app anytime if you suspect fraud.
Does Venmo refund after being scammed?
No. Once you send money via Venmo, you will only get it back if the person who received it refunds it to you.
How to report a Venmo scam
You can report a Venmo scam by contacting Venmo’s Help Center and choosing the option to report the fraud.
How to spot a Venmo fraud
Spotting a Venmo scam is easier than you might think. Hackers are crafty, but they are also predictable and follow similar patterns. Use the signs below to identify a scam and stay safe.
Use a scam detection tool
Before sending money to anyone you don’t know, run Moonlock’s Scam Detector tool to make sure they’re not malicious.
Simply copy and paste the content of a text message, email, or DM into Moonlock’s Scam Detector and click “Check.” If Moonlock determines that the probability of a scam is high, you’ll receive a guide explaining how to respond to the threat.
Start your free 7-day trial of Moonlock and see how Scam Detector helps you spot phishing attempts in just a few clicks.
A stranger contacting you
If a stranger contacts you out of the blue by email, text, or social media, be wary, especially if they claim to be from Venmo. Venmo rarely contacts anyone and never asks for personal information.
A sense of urgency
Scammers try to elicit a sense of panic to get you to act quickly without thinking. The message or call will always contain a sense of urgency in an attempt to scare you, so you send money or provide information before realizing it’s a scam.
Unexpected payments in your account
If a stranger sends you money out of nowhere, don’t touch it. This is often a setup for an “accidental” transfer scam. Report it to Venmo customer support instead of refunding it yourself to the sender.
Requests to move to a different payment method
Scammers that start on Venmo often push to switch to other payment methods like wire transfers, gift cards, or crypto. This is a deliberate move to scam you, as those methods are even harder to trace and reverse than Venmo payments.
Spelling and grammatical errors
It’s uncommon for legitimate messages from major companies or organizations to contain errors in spelling or grammar, but scammers’ communications are often riddled with errors.
Venmo is the only accepted payment method
Legitimate sellers, landlords, and even employers rarely, if ever, insist on Venmo as the only accepted payment method. If someone pushes back on any alternatives, especially ones with built-in buyer protection, treat it as a red flag. The insistence on Venmo is often deliberate to exploit its irreversibility.
Asking for personal information or money
A scam always has a goal. Usually, it is to obtain personal information (login credentials, bank account information, credit card numbers, etc.) or money from you. If someone asks for something, let that be a big red flag.
What to do if your Venmo payment was a scam
Venmo scams are notoriously difficult to reverse. Acting quickly won’t guarantee a refund, but it can limit further damage. Here’s what to do immediately:
- Report it to Venmo: Contact Venmo’s customer support directly and provide them with all the information and screenshots you have of the scammer.
- Contact your bank: If your Venmo account is linked to your bank or credit card, notifying them might get you a refund if you act fast enough.
- Change your credentials: Reset your Venmo password, enable 2FA, and change your profile activity to private or friends-only.
- Report it to the FTC: Follow the steps on the FTC’s website to report the scam.
- File a police report: Depending on how much money was stolen from you, you might be able to get help from local law enforcement.
How can you prevent Venmo scams?
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. You can avoid getting scammed by staying alert and using the following tips.
Implement 2-factor authentication (2FA)
Enable 2FA on Venmo and double-check every account before sending them money. Also, enable 2FA on all accounts linked to your Venmo, including your email, bank, phone carrier, and SIM card. And instead of using text messages, which could be vulnerable to SIM swap attacks, opt for authenticator apps like Google Authenticator, Authy, or 1Password.
Never send money to strangers
If someone requests money through Venmo, think hard before sending it. Unless you know a person well, you could be falling prey to a scam. Do not give out personal information, either.
Set Venmo privacy settings
In the Venmo app, turn on maximum security and privacy settings, including Face ID and PIN security.
Use email authentication protocol
DMARC, DKIM, and SPF are all security protocols that verify the legitimacy of email domains. Without them, scammers can spoof your email and use it to impersonate you and trick others into sending them money or downloading malware on their devices.
Dual approval on transfers
Make it mandatory for all Venmo transfers to require a second authentication step before processing. This allows you more time to reconsider the transfer’s legitimacy, and it protects against in-person Venmo theft.
Limit Venmo access
While Venmo allows you to log in to the same account on multiple devices, this only doubles or triples the attack surface. Restrict Venmo usage to your main device so you can always keep an eye on it and avoid having it stolen or compromised.
Never let a stronger borrow your phone
Strangers who ask to borrow your phone may be scammers looking to access your Venmo account to steal funds quickly. Protect your phone at all costs.
Using common sense can help you avoid many scams, including those that use the Venmo payment app to commit fraud. Always be on the lookout for suspicious emails, texts, links, and phone calls.
This is an independent publication, and it has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by PayPal, Inc. Venmo is a trademark of PayPal, Inc.
