Finance

Watch out for online scams: Here’s what you should do if you get an unexpected payment or request on Venmo

Here’s what you should do if Venmo starts to act weirdly and charge you for things you haven’t bought.

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Born in Leeds, Joe finished his Spanish degree in 2018 before becoming an English teacher to football (soccer) players and managers, as well as collaborating with various football media outlets in English and Spanish. He joined AS in 2022 and covers both the men’s and women’s game across Europe and beyond.

Update: Jun 13th, 2025 05:36 EDT

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 golfer, recently deleted his Venmo account after receiving a number of unsolicited payment requests and transfers from strangers. He explained that small amounts trickled in, but most worrying were constant demands for money when he didn’t perform as expected.

“That’s why I had to get rid of my Venmo because I was either getting paid by people or people requesting me a bunch of money when I didn’t win. It wasn’t a good feeling. I don’t remember the most that somebody would send me. Maybe a couple bucks here or there. That didn’t happen nearly as much as the requests did”, CBS Sports reported.

Although everyday users aren’t likely to face high-profile attention, Scheffler’s case highlights worrying security and privacy concerns on Venmo. CBS MoneyWatch reporter Mary Cunningham outlined key tips to stay safe on the platform:

Ignore or decline stranger interactions: Never accept unexpected payments from unknown users. Instead, report them to Venmo support. If a familiar account requests money, verify authenticity outside the app .
Lock down your privacy settings: Venmo’s “public” setting allows anyone to view your transactions. To better keep your data secure, users should switch their privacy level to either “Friends only” or “Private.”
Be cautious of common scam patterns: Always cross-check suspicious activity before responding.

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In summary, Scheffler’s decision shows how even minor financial harassment can unsettle users. Venmo itself writes: ”In some cases, you may receive a payment request from someone who appears to be a friend or relative. This can be a common scam tactic, so we recommend contacting your friend or family member outside of Venmo to confirm the legitimacy of the request before taking any action.”

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