Did you get scammed on Venmo? Here’s how you can try to get your money back and how to avoid common Venmo scams in the future.
August 2, 2023
Aura Cybersecurity Editor
Jory MacKay is a writer and award-winning editor with over a decade of experience for online and print publications. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Victoria and a passion for helping people identify and avoid fraud.
Reviewed by
Aura Cybersecurity Editor
Alina Benny is an Aura authority on internet security, identity theft, and fraud. She holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering from the Cochin University of Science and Technology and has nearly a decade in content research. Twitter: @heyabenny
Aura’s app keeps you safe from scams, fraud, and identity theft. Try Aura for free.
4.7 stars as of March 2024In this article:
In this article:
Aura’s digital security app keeps your family safe from scams, fraud, and identity theft.
See pricing Share this:Jessica Roy was juggling diaper changes, feeding schedules, and the responsibilities of new motherhood when she received a notification that a stranger had sent her $500 on Venmo for an “antique table” [*].
But Jessica wasn’t selling a table. Thinking the whole thing was a big misunderstanding, she was about to send the money back — but something didn’t feel right. Luckily for Jessica, she looked up “accidental Venmo payments” and quickly learned that she was being targeted by a scammer.
Fraudsters use stolen credit card numbers to send money to hundreds of people. But once the credit card’s rightful owner reports the fraud, the bank reverses the charge — which means that the stolen $500 would have come out of Jessica’s account.
Unfortunately, Venmo scams like these are only becoming more common.
Fraudsters have learned how to take advantage of Venmo (and other peer-to-peer payment services like Zelle and Cash App) to scam victims out of millions.
If you’ve been scammed on Venmo, you need to act quickly if you want to recover your lost money. In this guide, we’ll cover what to do if you’ve been scammed on Venmo and how you can try to get your money back.
In most cases, the answer is no.
There is no way to cancel a Venmo payment once it’s been sent. Venmo also typically doesn’t get involved in financial disputes between users (instead, you’re better off contacting your bank).
The one exception is if you’ve marked a payment to a personal profile as a “purchase.” In this case, you may be eligible for Venmo’s Purchase Protection [*].
According to Venmo’s user agreement, Purchase Protection only applies if:
Unfortunately, most Venmo scams don’t use a business account — so your payments won’t qualify for Purchase Protection.
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), only 14% of people scammed on Venmo in 2021 were able to recover their funds [*].
The odds for recovering lost or stolen Venmo funds are better than other payment methods, such as Cash App and Zelle — but still significantly worse than those who used PayPal or a credit card.
For the best chances of getting back your lost money, there are steps that you can take.
🛡 Get award-winning scam protection — for free. If you’ve been scammed on Venmo, fraudsters could also gain access to your bank information and other online accounts. Try Aura’s all-in-one digital security solution free for 14 days to secure your finances, identity, and online accounts against fraudsters.
If you’ve been scammed on Venmo or if you sent money to the wrong person, here’s what you can do to try and get your money back:
Venmo transfers (as well as transfers via other payment apps) are treated like cash. Once the money has been received by the recipient, there’s no way to force them to return it.
Instead, there are only three situations in which you’ll be able to get your money back:
Venmo won’t step in until you’ve tried to resolve the issue yourself. In some cases, the “scam” may actually just be a mistake or misunderstanding.
Here’s what to do:
You’ll be notified in the app (or via email) if the person denies the request.
On the off chance that the scammers are not very organized, you may see that the payment is flagged as “pending.” This means that they haven’t set up an active Venmo account associated with the phone number or email to which you sent the money — and you can cancel the payment.
Here’s what to do:
You can also access your transaction history through the Venmo website and try to cancel a pending payment.
If your payment was flagged as a “purchase” you may be eligible for Venmo’s Purchase Protection plan. Purchase Protection covers situations in which you pay for an item and either receive nothing or an item that is broken, different, or fake.
An example would be if a scammer lists an item for sale on Facebook Marketplace as authentic, but you receive a counterfeit copy.
Here’s how to file a Purchase Protection claim:
Make sure to include any relevant information, including the payment date and amount, and the username of the person to whom you sent the money.
If you still can’t get a refund, dispute the transaction with Venmo’s customer service.
Venmo makes no promises that they’ll refund money you sent to a scammer — only that they’ll “investigate any available options.”
Contact support in the Venmo app under “Home” and then “Get Help” or use this online form.
Make sure you include:
You can also include attachments, such as screenshots of your communications with the scammer, or the phishing scam that tricked you into sending money.
This gets the process started with Venmo, but there’s no clear information or timeline for what “options” are available. Even worse, Venmo states that they will only refund an unauthorized transaction if:
Not many scammers will give permission to take back their ill-gotten funds. But it’s still worth a shot to contact Venmo support.
✅ Pro tip: You can also contact Venmo over the phone at (855) 812-4430. Venmo phone support is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Central Time) seven days a week.
If Venmo still doesn’t help — or if you want to pursue other avenues — you can try to file a chargeback or dispute with the payment method that you used to fund your Venmo account (such as your bank or credit card company).
But first, you’ll need a police report.
Contact your local law enforcement’s non-emergency line (i.e., not 911) and ask for their fraud department. Explain what happened, and tell them the steps you’ve already taken. Provide as much information as you can about the fraud and how it occurred.
The police will create a file that you can reference when you continue trying to get your money back.
If the amount you sent wasn’t covered by your Venmo balance and instead came out of a linked bank account or credit or debit card, you can file a dispute with the bank or card issuer.
Contact your financial institution’s fraud department and explain what happened. They may also suggest that you close your current account (to stop further fraud) and issue you a new credit card or bank account number.
To stop further scams or harassment, you should also block the user in Venmo.
Here’s what to do:
Once users are blocked, they won’t show up in your network, be able to find you on Venmo, or send money requests or payments.
Note: You need to log out and then back in to your Venmo account in order for the block to be put in place.
Some Venmo scams steal more than money — scammers may have your sensitive financial information as well. If this is the case, fraudsters could potentially open new accounts or take out loans in your name.
Whenever you become the victim of fraud or identity theft, it’s a good idea to freeze your credit.
A credit freeze stops anyone from accessing your credit report and opening new accounts in your name.
To freeze your credit, contact each of the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — and request a credit freeze:
You can also lock your credit with a single tap by using Aura’s all-in-one digital security app.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tracks and reports on scams. If you’ve lost money or given up sensitive information that could be used for identity theft — such as your name, address, credit card number, Social Security number (SSN), etc. — you should report it to the FTC.
Report the scam to official government authorities by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP or by visiting ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
In the best case scenario, a Venmo scam only results in the loss of a small amount of money. But fraudsters are often after more.
They want access to your financial or personal information that they can use for identity theft and further scams. If they get it, they can do serious damage to your credit, identity, and reputation.
Aura’s all-in-one digital security solution monitors your most sensitive information while also proactively protecting you from identity theft and fraud.
Here’s how Aura can keep you safe from Venmo scams and other types of fraud:
💡 Want to try Aura for yourself? Start your free 14-day trial →
If you see unauthorized activity in your Venmo account, you may have been hacked. In this case, you’ll want to immediately secure your account to prevent further losses.
Here’s what to do if your Venmo account has been hacked:
If you still have access to your account: you should change your password immediately.
Log in to your account via the Venmo website or app on your Android or iOS device. Then, select Settings, Profile, and then Change Password. You’ll need to enter your current password first before selecting a new one.
If hackers have changed your Venmo account password: you’ll need to request a password reset.
Go to your Venmo account’s sign-in page and then select Forgot Password. Enter the email and phone number attached to your account to get a password reset link.
Scammers may be using your email address to try and access your Venmo account. If you have a backup or secondary email address, switch your Venmo account to it to prevent further hacking attempts.
Start by logging in to your Venmo account. Then, select Settings, Profile, and then scroll down to your account’s email address. Update and verify the email address by clicking on the link in the confirmation email you receive.
If hackers have access to your Venmo account, they can steal any stored funds or even gain access to your linked bank, debit, or credit card accounts.
Sign in to your Venmo account and then select Settings and then Payment Methods. Tap or click on each account or card and select Remove.
You should also contact your bank to cancel any compromised accounts or cards before scammers can withdraw your funds. Reach out to your bank’s fraud department and explain the situation. Highlight any unauthorized transactions (such as purchases or online subscriptions) and then ask them to cancel your cards and accounts and issue you new ones.
Venmo should know if your account was hacked so they can freeze your account and stop scammers from using it in the future.
You can contact Venmo support by using their online contact form, chatting with a representative in the app (8:00am–10:00pm CT, seven days a week), or calling 855-812-4430 (8:00am–8:00pm CT, seven days a week).
🥇 Don’t settle for second-best protection against scams and fraud. Aura’s all-in-one digital security solution has been rated #1 by Money.com, US News, Tech Radar, Forbes, ad more. Try Aura free for 14 days and secure your finances against fraudsters.
It’s always better to take a proactive approach towards security rather than deal with the headache of trying to get back money from scammers or fraudsters.
Here’s how you can secure your Venmo account and avoid being a victim of fraud in the future:
Editorial note: Our articles provide educational information for you to increase awareness about digital safety. Aura’s services may not provide the exact features we write about, nor may cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat discussed in our articles. Please review our Terms during enrollment or setup for more information. Remember that no one can prevent all identity theft or cybercrime.
