Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

RandomStranger79 t1_ivb3lmy wrote

Don't do anything. Definitely don't send them any money. As soon as you do they'll cancel the initial transaction and hope that you don't cancel the second transaction on yours.

Edit: I was wrong. Still a scam though so be careful!

426

probably_art t1_ivbut8r wrote

That’s not how Venmo works at all.

You cannot cancel a transaction. Once it’s sent it’s sent.

the scammer used a fake/fraudulent source for the money they sent you. They want you to launder it and send them your clean $250 back. Then once Venmo determines the first transaction was from a fraudulent source, you’re out the initial $250 and the scammer has your clean $250

170

phenry17 OP t1_ivb4r95 wrote

Thanks for the heads up. Appreciate you all who are commenting

164

[deleted] t1_ivba6dr wrote

[deleted]

50

RandomStranger79 t1_ivbai36 wrote

I run a small business and for this reason we only accept Venmo from clients we trust or for small dollar amounts.

53

phenry17 OP t1_ivbbtfc wrote

Heard that. Thanks for sharing, I’m in the same boat.

16

[deleted] t1_ivbbram wrote

[deleted]

−22

unlikely-contender t1_ivbmxey wrote

Why can't the recipient cancel the first transaction instead of having to make a second one to send the money back?

19

Neverendingwebinar t1_ivboxet wrote

Because then they don't get the refund that they keep after canceling the first.

22

unlikely-contender t1_ivbpcwr wrote

Yes I get the scam. I'm saying that venmo should offer the option to block/cancel incoming transaction as a way to deal with this kind of scam.

24

xmgm33 t1_ivbvnht wrote

They should but they don’t. I think it’s weird.

15

albyssa t1_ivcgcm2 wrote

I think they do actually, or at least Cash App does and it would make sense that Venmo would also. Once my mom tried to send me $500 and accidentally sent it to the wrong account. We had to jump through a few hoops with Cash App customer service, but she was able to cancel it and get the money back.

4

Sobar1 t1_ivcx1gj wrote

Dam ur lucky…! I did that once & i was not able to get it back it wasn’t 500$ thank the lord.!! This was a few yrs ago tho

3

albyssa t1_ivcxqx5 wrote

Ya it was lucky! My mom was freaking out obviously but it all turned out ok.

3

Sobar1 t1_ivd0uq8 wrote

Yes 👍🏼 I definitely woulda lost my stuff too.. atleast u can laugh bout it now.. 😝

3

RandomStranger79 t1_ivbqoa8 wrote

I don't think the app is set up that way. Anyone can send you money any time for any reason and you aren't prompted to accept or deny any transaction.

10

SunfishStudio t1_ivb4e7a wrote

I think enough people have said it's a scam for you to get the idea, but if you want to know how it works this does a great job explaining. You're not going to get to keep that $250 but rest assured, you're not going to get in trouble or be on the hook for not sending a refund. I've been the target of this scam 3 times and nothing ever comes of it if you ignore it

347

phenry17 OP t1_ivb4pvn wrote

I’m sorry to hear that happen to you. I run a business and the last thing I want is an incident. Appreciate the reassuring comment.

100

SunfishStudio t1_ivdojzy wrote

Oh no worries at all, I was the target but not a victim, so I've never lost any money to it. Just a minor annoyance is all.

It can be jarring though even when you're almost certain it's a scam. Had a similar fright when a phishing scheme slipped through into my main inbox claiming to have a bunch of my online credentials (one of my old email/password combinations was likely leaked in a security breach since they did have a password I'd used, just not the most current). A small part of your brain can get a bit spooked and go "ok but what if it's real?"

6

Ancient_Boner_Forest t1_ivcoxut wrote

I agree it’s a scam but I’m confused why in the world would they label it “catch this crook” though?

26

Nya7 t1_ivdl6kz wrote

What if you withdraw the money?

6

Lord_Paddington t1_ivf7ufm wrote

My guess is that it gets reversed out of your account when they find out?

1

Nya7 t1_ivffb9z wrote

When who finds out what? You withdrew money that was in your account, you didnt do anything wrong. Why does venmo allow people to dispute transactions like that is my question

3

Lord_Paddington t1_ivgd7ey wrote

Yeah Idk I was just thinking if Venmo finds out it was sent fraudulently if they would try to bill you for it?

1

Nya7 t1_ivgic9k wrote

Its possible, I just dont understand why you would be liable for that

1

finalmessy t1_ivb3y1c wrote

It’s a scam. Do not send the money back or you will be on the hook

94

phenry17 OP t1_ivb43o5 wrote

I figured something was sketchy. Especially with the initial request to pay them? Then retracted. Thank you

36

phenry17 OP t1_ivb3mzq wrote

At first, they requested me to pay it, under the same description. Then deleted the request and now venmoed me the money, asking for it back. Sketchy.

59

BurghPuppies t1_ivbho65 wrote

Maybe tell them that you got the notice, but not the funds… but if they send the funds again then you’ll send it? Then immediately transfer money to a different account hahaha.

13

phenry17 OP t1_ivbk4jr wrote

I think I see what you’re saying but I wouldn’t want to contact them and lie by saying I didn’t receive the funds (see screenshot). I also wouldn’t want to transfer as I’m in the process of escalating an issue with Venmo about this.

Sarcasm I suppose by suggesting to doubling down, but with scamming the scammer, I wouldn’t want to ruffle any feathers or poke the bear lol.

20

WitcheryWoo t1_ivb6n9c wrote

This happened to me when i first got a venmo account. They sent me three payments for around $160 each then asked for a refund. I googled it and it sounded like a scam so I didn’t. Years later, that money is still in my venmo account! At this point i wouldnt be afraid to use it, i just dont use venmo. It was super weird though!

46

phenry17 OP t1_ivb78gm wrote

Thank you for sharing your story! Scammers will stop at nothing and people are very gullible when it comes to situations like this. They assume your guard is down by making a human error, compelling you to do the “right” thing and give them it back. Manipulation tactics.

22

WitcheryWoo t1_ivcac7w wrote

I should have mentioned that when this happened i did contact support and asked them to reverse the transactions but they wouldn’t/couldn’t do that.

6

WitcheryWoo t1_ivcawei wrote

Also whenever i tell people about this I usually say i got reverse-scammed on venmo hahaha

5

phenry17 OP t1_ivcbrr0 wrote

I may have to use that moving forward lol, we will see lol

4

Even_Contact_1946 t1_ivb3w3t wrote

Seriously? Block the number & delete the text. Or, do it and lose all your money in your account. Wtf

26

phenry17 OP t1_ivb4b1h wrote

Follow up, what do I do with the money though if I’m not sending it back? Would it fall under a “gift”? Shall I leave it in my account and use it via Venmo. I’m sketched to even transfer it to my bank

16

Confident_End_3848 t1_ivblw18 wrote

If the money is really in your account, contact your bank and let them investigate.

7

phenry17 OP t1_ivbmow7 wrote

It’s staying in my Venmo until the issue is sorted with Venmo.

8

Confident_End_3848 t1_ivbn997 wrote

OK, I think I was confusing Venmo with Zelle. But in any case, contact Venmo about possible fraud.

5

Decent_Birthday358 t1_ivfvf0a wrote

What's to stop op from immediately withdrawing the $250 and canceling their venmo, thereby keeping the cash?

1

Confident_End_3848 t1_ivfw2g6 wrote

I don’t really know how Venmo works. How easy is it for someone to “mistakenly” send money?

1

rmr236 t1_ivbh52b wrote

Report it toVenmo and let handle it. Don’t refund them.

12

phenry17 OP t1_ivbk81l wrote

Doing so, Que is long and timed out. Trying again, sending email of chat fails.

4

geekpgh t1_ivbr5v3 wrote

Contact support, it’s a scam. You could still get burned if you don’t contact support.

I had a similar thing happen on PayPal. I didn’t send the refund and then PayPal support got confused because the person claimed they bought something off me and I failed to ship it.

So PayPal reversed everything, but then charged me a “dispute fee” since I filed a case and they found in the other party’s favor.

I at least did not end up losing the money. I just had to pay a fee.

12

Pushnikov t1_ivcyxez wrote

Sounds like losing money. Except the scammer was PayPal

2

stephbeth82 t1_ivblf5i wrote

I wish someone would randomly send me $250. That’s what I need to pay my sons speech therapy lol

9

phenry17 OP t1_ivbmhfm wrote

This is why I’d like to send it to someone in need if my account ends up with the money. Sorry to hear about your situation with your child. Therapy can work wonders, unfortunately it’s expensive too :/

3

Formal_Development_4 t1_ivdggl1 wrote

The school district you live in might provide speech therapy for free as part of an early intervention program even if he is not in school yet.

3

Ok-Leek3162 t1_ivdu09v wrote

If the child is young enough, your local hospital may have grant money for at home early intervention services. My sister has been doing this for 20 years and still loves her job and the kids/families The earlier the better for the kiddo.

1

abortionleftovers t1_ivbgtyv wrote

So while it’s likely a scam I am confused by everyone saying they will cancel the charge because I have actually venmoed the wrong person before (twice actually once a stranger with a similar name and once my cousins account she can’t access anymore) and when I contacted support for venmo they told me there is no way to cancel or rescind the transaction and the people would have to venmo me back. The stranger did (which was nice and unexpected) and my cousin obviously can’t since she can’t get into that account so that money is just lost essentially.

How would this scam work since the sender cannot cancel the transaction?

8

Sobar1 t1_ivcxrru wrote

Y cant ur cousin contact support & recover her old account to get that $$ back.! Or u already tried.?

3

abortionleftovers t1_ivcy20q wrote

She tried but they wouldn’t do it because she doesn’t have access to the email linked to it anymore, I dunno it was only $20 so I didn’t micromanage it lol, my take away was just that venmo couldn’t refund/cancel The charge

1

Sobar1 t1_ivd0lwx wrote

Ohhh good then, it was only 20$….. idk some reason thought it was more..!

1

albyssa t1_ivcgswv wrote

Interesting. The same thing happened to me with Cash App. My mom sent money to the wrong person. But we contacted their customer service and the DID cancel her transaction. Good reason to use Cash App I guess.

2

LeftClawNorth t1_ivcpv8v wrote

Something similar happened to me once. I posted a note in the transaction that it was an error and stated "I authorize Venmo to reverse this transaction." I also stated that under no circumstance would I initiate a payment myself.

I also emailed Venmo. Venmo support told me to initiate a payment back. I told them I absolutely wouldn't do that and I was shocked that they suggested it. Venmo then reversed the transaction.

Venmo is a terrible company, their support is terrible, and they are actively encouraging their users to get scammed.

6

altonquincyjones t1_ivb7vce wrote

This happened to me before and I spoke with Venmo. They ended up telling me it was fine. Just contact Venmo so if it is a scam they can be banned or whatever

5

phenry17 OP t1_ivbb80a wrote

Thank you very much for the info I’ll contact Venmo and report the scam

5

Daneosaurus t1_ivc5rm7 wrote

I have accidentally sent over $400 to a stranger with the identical name, but -32 instead of -34. It’s very possible this was in error.

5

mizmittington t1_iveaudi wrote

I did this once, too, and was freaking out because I actually couldn't afford to lose that money (and still owe the money I accidentally sent to the wrong person). I messaged the person and explained, and they did send it back. Thankfully this was before this scam was a known thing. I also had messaged Venmo, but wasn't getting a response (actually never got a response!)

So yes, there is a scam like this. There are also mistakes and venmo doesn't make it easy to fix them.

1

Junkdoe10 t1_ivc195x wrote

I would be cautious. Better to ignore. If you feel bad about 250 donate

4

enraged_hbo_max_user t1_ivb4mtr wrote

I’ve never used Venmo. Do you have to “accept” the funds, or are they instantly available to you?

3

phenry17 OP t1_ivb56ux wrote

I’m not 100% certain how it works. When sending friends money, I sometimes have to add their last 4 of their phone number. Be it, my phone number is only because of my business so that could be bypassed.

Maybe since it’s a “public” be “private” send that can make the difference.

I’ve been on Reddit long enough to acknowledge red flags. This is huge. Especially the initial request from them for ME to send THEM money. Followed by them sending me money and immediately wanting it back.

2

enraged_hbo_max_user t1_ivb5lai wrote

Well it is definitely a scam. I’m just wondering what, if any, repercussions you would face if you just shrugged, took the money and ran, closed your Venmo account, and ignored all requests from them in the future.

Scammers are usually fine losing the carrot they’re dangling in front of their marks, but $250 seems larger than usual, which is why I’m wondering if you could/should just grab-and-go, so to speak.

6

phenry17 OP t1_ivb6hlw wrote

Very good points you raise. I have similar thoughts. I could always ask my attorney if the issue persists. They have been blocked and I plan on simply holding that in my Venmo for it a bit.

I know a lot of organizations in the PGH area that could use these funds. I don’t need them, but there are people who could benefit from these stupid scammers.

Short story: my grandpa was on his way to “pick me up from jail” using gift cards he bought from Walmart. Someone called him, impersonating me, and had him buy gift cards to get me out of jail. (I was at work then I got the call from uncle asking if I was locked up). Luckily my uncle was able to stop my Popop from losing hundred of dollars. Scammers suck.

5

enraged_hbo_max_user t1_ivb72de wrote

There’s this YouTube channel of this guy scamming scammers, he has hundreds of hours of content. Some of it is incredibly interesting. Gets old fast because it’s literally just him owning them over and over again, but it’s worth checking out when you’re feeling frustrated lol

6

phenry17 OP t1_ivb7ffg wrote

Oh I’ve seen videos of the big ones infiltrating and taking down entire call scamming centers. It’s a huge problem and I love seeing the justice served in those videos.

3

reerathered1 t1_ivb6vu9 wrote

You have to transfer the funds to your bank. Venmo does not tell you this. There are no instant funds.

2

enraged_hbo_max_user t1_ivb7u6u wrote

I figured as much. So if OP transfers to his bank then shuts down his Venmo, his bank is going to get a call from Venmo in a few days saying OP owes Venmo $250, correct?

1

phenry17 OP t1_ivbc60t wrote

Unsure to both above. Someone else commented a similar story of 3 payments being made to them and it is still sitting in their Venmo. I don’t want this to be transferred to my bank. I am raising an incident report with Venmo about this scam.

1

RandomStranger79 t1_ivb7k5c wrote

You don't have to accept it, it'll appear in your funds right away but technically the transaction hasn't gone through. They'll have a few days to cancel it before it becomes official.

2

phenry17 OP t1_ivbciqa wrote

I think this is the kicker right here. They have the ability to cancel. Which is how they get so many folks with this scam. Out of human kindness, they will give the money back to the scammer. Said scammer will accept funds then cancel their initial transaction. Effectively having the user pay scammer said money.

This has to work way more often than we think. And on larger scales or different mediums.

5

RandomStranger79 t1_ivbcz7u wrote

It's just the newest variation of a very old scam. It's tried and tested and still going strong.

4

[deleted] t1_ivbqtsv wrote

As many others have said, it's a scam, but you should also report it to Venmo/contact customer service. See "payments from strangers" section on their help page.

ETA: You can block them as well, which will block any other incoming transactions/requests from them.

3

phenry17 OP t1_ivbsmx6 wrote

Blocked and issue has been sent to Venmo. Waiting to hear back.

5

Brezo2k t1_ivc5tcr wrote

U came up my boy

3

___cats___ t1_ivcuae6 wrote

Last time this happened to me it was $55. They asked for me to send it back, I said no and did an immediate transfer to my checking.

They went to venmo for a refund but since my account was at zero Venmo added then removed $55 from my account. That bit was even weirder than the scam in the first place.

3

phenry17 OP t1_ivcwysg wrote

That’s oddly suspicious. Sorry that happened to you but thanks for sharing. It’s sitting in Venmo. They emailed me back today and said an agent will reach out about my case within 24 hours. 👀

3

___cats___ t1_ivcxvfn wrote

It was actually two scammers in the span of about 5 minutes. One for $15 and one for $40.

3

kmc1124 t1_ivd1231 wrote

You can contact Venmo directly about it. I had someone do this to me (and it ended up being a legit accident) and Venmo handled it on their own. They moved the money back to the person and all that.

3

phenry17 OP t1_ivd1bep wrote

Thanks for sharing. I’ve contacted them, they assigned an agent who will reach out within 24 hours. The lead up to this was weird tho. Initial request for the money then cancelation then paying me the money and then asking for it back. We shall see

3

MacGruuber t1_ivd8win wrote

I had this happen a few months back. Go to your bank and tell them you don't know what this is about and you don't want the money. They will document what you tell them and you won't be responsible for returning the money.

3

HeyEmbar t1_ivf0xad wrote

So long story short if I just bank the money and block the person I get a free 250$?

3

jollyboots17 t1_ivf18e2 wrote

Leave it alone. Do NOT send it back. Lots of Zelle and Venmo Scams going on right now especially with FB marketplace and tickets!

3

TheApprentice19 t1_ivbgokg wrote

Keep their money, they probably are fishing for your bank details

2

Chris19862 t1_ivbnvy9 wrote

Start using it like a debit card until its gone

2

preparetomoveout t1_ivbjn8c wrote

This is probably a scam.

Though how I use venomo I could see how the scam would work. I get money into venmo via credit card - which I can't fund to my account directly, but I can send money to others that way. So when I need money in my account I send a family member money ( which gets funded by my credit card ) and ask them to send it back. So I'm guessing they're doing a similar process just with a stolen credit card.

2

phenry17 OP t1_ivblouf wrote

Great point about the card variable. I do not have one for clarification.

1

Realistic_Degree_773 t1_ivbkcqt wrote

Nah man keep that money. That's a donation. They willingly sent it to you. Not your problem they want it back.

2

Jellyblowfish t1_ivbl1l7 wrote

You are correct, it is a scam. It happens a lot on FB Marketplace too. Look out

2

phenry17 OP t1_ivblrri wrote

Thanks for the awareness, always helpful!

1

corinnasue t1_ivbo3lc wrote

I would Contact your bank. They’ve dealt with this a lot I’m sure. Don’t refund it. It will likely reverse on its own and then your refund is gone too.

2

SubTwatica_1124 t1_ivbo3zn wrote

What you do is stack your 🍞. Isn't stealing if you were gifted it.

2

iSoReddit t1_ivbms8n wrote

Yeah don’t do anything at all

1

luisbeast165 t1_ivbp9sr wrote

😭😭😭 I just want something like dat but just the money

1

Rich4718 t1_ivczbh6 wrote

Cash it out close your account

1

TheLuo t1_ivdnpw7 wrote

If you ever get unexpected money follow the below:

Any time anyone for any reason want any amount of money from you - your answer should ALWAYS be “come get it”.

(Outside of an expected bill or someone you can see in person) Never send any money to anyone for any reason.

Trust and believe if you really owe them money they will find a way come physically get it.

1

ravia t1_ivdv1wy wrote

Could someone pay you for a legit service on Paypal then do some kind of sudden cancelation where they don't get charged and you don't get paid?

1

atrextohugandkiss t1_iw6n0ig wrote

If you have your Venmo set up to a bank a/c (assuming), I’d subsequently call your bank and see if they can trace the money. My mom worked for PNC, and Pittsburgh National Bank before that, so she’s in my ear constantly about all the scams/fraud going on today bc she knows how it’s only increased and her years of experience haha. Just a suggestion - bc the bank will obviously have access you won’t and you’re not the only person these people have come after, so the police can notify whomever they need to.

1

Otherwise_Wrangler22 t1_ivbl9dq wrote

This is so sad...I was helped by someone in this group when COVID hit and was out of a job. I still haven't worked in 3 years as I've been taking care of my 3.5 year old son, and will get a job soon as I have put in over 40 applications. So if I got this in my Venmo, I'd be very tempted to keep it. But I know it's a scam, this person probably stole someone's credit card and is using it to send money, then when the money gets sent back, they can withdraw it and keep the stolen money. Then you are out of $250, and that makes me so upset and angry for the victim, who is out $250, who thinks they are just doing the right thing. The bank or credit card company will investigate and return the stolen funds to the original owner of the credit card, the thief has their money, but the person who sent it back is out the money. The best thing to do is contact Venmo so they can flag it as fraudulent. Im so sorry this happened to you. Thank God you were smart enough to stop and think that something was wrong.

0

phenry17 OP t1_ivbm4l1 wrote

Sorry to hear about your situation, persistence pays off if I’ve learned anything. You WIlL get that job!

Thanks for the info about the card, someone else mentioned that and it makes more sense now.

I am escalating with Venmo. Cheers!

3

Otherwise_Wrangler22 t1_ivbnxxr wrote

Thank you, I'm not a big God person, but I've been praying a lot, as a member of my family is slowly dying also, so there is a lot going on right now. But like I said, I've recently been praying a lot, and I'll include you. I'm just so glad that you didn't automatically send it back. You seem like a good person, and I very much believe in karma, and you're going to get good things back to you. And thank you again---i KNOW I'll get a job eventually, I think that the fact that I have a 3yr space now that I haven't been working is hurting me. LOL, I'm so sorry that I made this about me, I didn't intend that. I hope everything works out and you did the right thing by stopping and thinking about it. I hope you have a great day!!!

2

phenry17 OP t1_ivbsj8l wrote

Thank you for your kind words and I wish nothing but peace for your family as you all handle the passing of a loved one. <3

2

Otherwise_Wrangler22 t1_ivbxi3p wrote

Thanks again, and I hope everything works out for you regarding the Venmo issue. ❤️

2

Willow-girl t1_ivcmeqm wrote

I don't know what kind of work you do, but many school districts are in need of substitute custodians and cafeteria staff. You will have to spend a little money (less than $100) getting your clearances, but if you sign up with multiple districts, you may be able to work quite steadily and it can lead to a permanent job. I temped for 2 districts last year and at the end of the school year, both offered me full-time jobs.

Housecleaning is also a nice gig, and once you get one client who is happy with your work, often they'll refer you to friends and neighbors. I took one job off Craigslist years ago and ended up cleaning for a whole neighborhood!

1

mainframechef t1_ivbzw9k wrote

I used to be annoyed my bank didn't support Venmo, they said it was too scammy... I guess they were on to something? They do support zelle and between that and using PayPal I've yet to be inconvenienced.

0

OcelotWolf t1_ivc121m wrote

There are scams on every platform. And Venmo is just a PayPal product anyway, so I have a lot of questions for your bank

3