Venmo

A scam text mimicking a child's emergency plea ('Hi mom') uses believable scenarios like dropping a phone in a sink to trick parents into texting a new number. Scammers avoid obvious demands for money initially but may later request funds or sensitive information through platforms like Zelle or Venmo.

A U.S. Bank customer fell victim to a Zelle scam after receiving a spoof call claiming unauthorized transactions. The scammer, posing as a bank representative, convinced them to send $2,000 via Zelle to resolve a fabricated 'glitch' in their account. The victim later recovered their funds and shared their story to raise awareness.

A person sold a laptop on Facebook Marketplace and received a Venmo payment from an unrelated account. The buyer claimed the payment was accidentally sent due to a cracked phone, but the Venmo account owner (Person B) denied involvement and refused to provide proof, leading to suspicions of a stolen account. The buyer later demanded a refund and threatened police involvement.

The author reflects on how her children request money through phone apps, contrasting with her childhood need to plan ahead for bank visits. She discusses the ease of modern digital payments versus the laborious process of securing cash in the 1990s.

A woman selling items on Facebook raised suspicions when a buyer named Hazard, claiming to represent an elderly sister, requested electronic payment via Zelle and insisted on a son picking up the speakers. The buyer avoided disclosing their location and falsely claimed to be in the same city as the seller, prompting the seller to lie about not having digital payment apps.

A user on Facebook Marketplace was scammed out of $1,300 after a buyer used Venmo to pay for an item, which was later blocked due to account type issues. The user feels embarrassed but acknowledges the amount is recoverable and contacted their bank for potential reimbursement.

Airbnb has partnered with CADENA International, a Mexico City-based nonprofit, to provide emergency housing in northern Venezuela. The collaboration involves connecting Airbnb hosts with beneficiaries through a database managed by CADENA, with donations encouraged via JPMorgan Chase and Venmo.

Two verified scam groups on Facebook, 'Spot Price Kings' and another trading group, are using stolen Zelle, Venmo, and bank accounts to defraud people. The scam involves fake coin images and 'reviews' to appear legitimate, with IP traces linked to MTN Nigeria, similar to Nigerian scam tactics. The article warns against sending money without full confirmation.

A user is questioning the legitimacy of a resin lamp shop, gwenresins.com, discovered via Instagram. The shop, with a 2026 account creation date, sells a discounted Spider-Man resin lamp at $84.99, offers bundle pricing, and claims free shipping, but lacks verified product reviews. The site features testimonials and a checkout process with multiple payment options.

A farm dog named Joy alerted a family to a fire in their Tennessee farmhouse, allowing them to escape safely but resulting in the dog's death and the destruction of the home. The family, now homeless and in the hospital, is receiving community support through fundraising efforts. The owner, Libby Smallbone, mentioned one of their emus is missing.

A user listed a couch for sale on Facebook Marketplace with delivery options and accepted a deposit via Venmo. The buyer canceled a meeting twice with conflicting reasons, insisted on a deposit despite the seller's preference for cash, and had a suspicious profile with a tree as a profile picture and mixed reviews. The seller is concerned it may be a scam despite the deposit being paid.

Venmo, a U.S.-based payment app acquired by PayPal in 2013, allows users to send and request money via linked bank accounts, debit cards, or credit cards (with a 3% fee for credit). It combines payment functionality with social media-like features, enabling transactions between friends and offering a debit card for Venmo balance access.

PayPal is shutting down its 10-year-old venture arm, PayPal Ventures, as part of a corporate restructuring under new CEO Enrique Lores. The venture team’s headcount has dropped from over 10 to two, and the company is exploring the sale of some positions via investment bank Jefferies. The previous CEO, Alex Chriss, was ousted in February due to declining stock performance and competitive pressures.

An immigration lawyer in South Florida, Ángel Leal, is being impersonated via AI-generated videos on social media to scam immigrants into paying for fake legal services. Criminals use manipulated content to lure victims into transferring money through platforms like WhatsApp, Zelle, and Venmo, leading to financial losses and deportation risks. Leal has partnered with a digital piracy company to remove 6,454 fake profiles and advises verifying legal services directly with his office.

Dogecoin has partnered with Paxos to integrate DOGE across Paxos's enterprise-grade brokerage and custody infrastructure. The Paxos network is also used by PayPal and Venmo.

Venmo's redesigned app offers more discreet payments by default, with new users having post visibility set to friends only instead of public. This change aims to provide a more private experience for users. The update reflects a shift towards prioritizing user privacy.

Venmo is undergoing a significant makeover as its parent company PayPal restructures to spin it off as a standalone business unit, potentially laying groundwork for a sale. Stripe has expressed interest in buying PayPal. The timing of Venmo's makeover is notable given these developments.

Venmo is testing a major redesign of its app, which includes a new privacy measure that sets posts to be viewable by friends only by default. This update addresses past struggles with privacy, including an incident in 2021 where BuzzFeed News tracked down President Joe Biden's Venmo account. The redesign aims to improve user privacy.

A user is giving away $50 in crypto to Venmo and CashApp users through the Venmo Crypto feature with no catch or fees. The giveaway is first come, first served, and users can claim by commenting their state and amount. The goal is to help someone get crypto in their wallet without hassle.

The US Treasury has added Venmo as a method for collecting debt payments while efforts to establish Bitcoin as a reserve asset have stalled.