Is Venmo Safe? Yes, If You Know These 12 Scams

Venmo is safe to use for what it was built for: paying people you already know and trust. The risk isn't hackers breaking into the app. It's scammers convincing you to send money voluntarily, which is much harder to undo.

Americans reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, according to the Federal Trade Commission, and nearly one in three fraud reports involved an imposter. Total reported fraud losses hit about $16 billion, the highest on record.

Below are 12 Venmo scams worth knowing, the warning signs that give them away, how to lock down your account, and the part most articles get wrong: when Venmo can actually get your money back. 

Is Venmo safe?

Yes, Venmo is generally safe to use. It's owned by PayPal, encrypts your transactions, and verifies user identities in the app as required by federal law, which helps stop scam accounts before they're created. Venmo also asks you to confirm a new recipient's phone number the first time you pay them, so you don't send money to a lookalike account by mistake, according to Venmo's trust and safety page.

Venmo uses encryption and other safety features to keep your personally identifiable information secure. But no security feature can stop you from sending money to someone who has convinced you they're trustworthy, and nearly every Venmo scam starts with phishing. 

Can you get your money back on Venmo?

Sometimes. It depends almost entirely on how you sent the payment. A standard payment to a friend is designed to move instantly, like handing someone cash. Venmo doesn't guarantee it can claw that back.

But Venmo Purchase Protection covers eligible transactions and can reimburse you for the full payment plus original shipping costs. Per Venmo, coverage applies when you:

• Pay with the Venmo Mastercard Debit Card
• Check out through the Venmo app or scan a QR code at checkout
• Pay a Venmo business profile
• Tag the payment as a purchase of goods and services before you send it

It costs the buyer nothing, and the seller pays a 2.99% transaction fee. Venmo lists vehicles, real estate, donations and crowdfunding, financial products or investments, and gambling as ineligible. See the Venmo user agreement for the full list.

Separately, if you notice unauthorized transactions, transfers, or account changes, Venmo asks you to report them as soon as possible through in-app chat or by phone, and points to the user agreement for resolution procedures on unauthorized charges.

The practical takeaway: if you're buying something from anyone you don't personally know, tag it as a purchase. That single toggle is the difference between a recoverable payment and an unrecoverable one.

How to make your Venmo account safer

As a general rule, you should only use Venmo to send or receive money from people you know and trust. Most of Venmo's protection is opt-in. These five settings take a few minutes and close the gaps scammers rely on.

1. Turn on a PIN or biometric lock. In addition to your Venmo password, you can require passwordless authentication like a PIN or Face/Touch ID to open the app, so a lost or stolen phone doesn't mean a drained balance.
2. Keep two-factor authentication on, and never share the code. Venmo texts a verification code when someone signs in using two-step verification. A Venmo agent will never ask you to read that code back. Anyone who does is a scammer.
3. Set your payment privacy. Venmo offers three levels: Public, Friends only, and Private. Private means the transaction appears only in your own feed and to the other person. Venmo always applies the more restrictive of the two participants' settings, and dollar amounts are hidden in the feed regardless. Check yours under Me > Settings > Privacy.
4. Lock down your friends list. A public friends list tells a scammer exactly who to impersonate and who to target next.
5. Tag purchases as goods and services. As noted above, this activates Purchase Protection. A seller who insists you not tag it is telling you something important.

Signs of a Venmo scam

Look for suspicious activity when using Venmo to keep your information and money safe. Look for several signs when using Venmo and other websites to avoid being scammed. Even if something doesn't include these signs but still seems suspicious, be careful about how much information you share.

Here are the common indicators of a phishing email:

1. Generic greeting: Venmo emails address you by your first and last name or business name. Venmo says it never uses "Dear user" or "Hello Venmo member."
2. Grammatical errors: Look for typos, odd formatting, and grammatical errors as signs of a scam.
3. Suspicious links: If you receive an email or text with a link that looks suspicious or out of character, do not click on it. If you’re on a desktop, you can hover over a hyperlink to see its direct URL before clicking. If you’re on mobile, play it safe and don’t tap the hyperlink.
4. A link in a login code text: Venmo's multi-factor authentication text never contains a link. If a "verification" text asks you to tap through to a site, it's a phishing page.
5. Unknown attachments: Do not download any unknown attachments you receive from Venmo or anywhere else.
6. Sense of urgency: In many of these scams, fraudsters hope that a sense of urgency will keep you from looking into the transaction. The FTC notes that some of the costliest impersonation scams start with a fake security alert that pressures you to move money to "protect" it.
7. Too good to be true: Does the listing, price, or product seem too good to be true? You may think you’re getting a great deal, but if it seems suspicious, it’s probably a scam.

One thing that is not a red flag on its own: getting a text from Venmo. Venmo sometimes texts you about account activity from the short code 86753. The link, not the text, is the tell.

Best identity theft protection to shield you from scams

If you think you've been a victim of a scam or just want to take precautions, identity theft protection services can help. The best ID theft protection combines proactive features like bank account, dark web, and credit monitoring with protections like identity theft insurance and identity recovery services. 

12 common Venmo scams

Most Venmo scams follow the same shape: an elaborate reason you need to pay a specific way, right now. Venmo maintains its own list of common scams, and the ones below track what it and the FTC are seeing.

1. Fake Venmo support calls

This is one of the most effective scams running, and it exploits Venmo's own security. The scammer tries to sign into your account, which triggers a verification code text to your phone. Then they call you, claim to be Venmo support investigating "unauthorized transactions," and ask you to read back the code, which gives them access to your account.

Venmo is explicit that its agents will never ask for that code under any circumstances. Venmo also says it will never ask to access your device remotely, ask you to install a third-party app, create an account on your behalf, direct you to send money to another user via a different payment platform, or ask you to send money to "verify" your account.

2. Sending fake payments

One common scam is when scammers send proof of payment for a payment that didn't actually happen. You may receive an email that looks to be from Venmo confirming that a user sent you money and that the funds will be held until the shipment is confirmed. With this scam, after you send the item, you won’t receive the payment as the scammer said.

Venmo confirms this holding-funds-until-shipment mechanic is not a real feature. Venmo also only emails from an address ending in "venmo.com," and the surest check is opening the app to see whether the money is actually there.

3. Sending fake links

You may also receive a fake link as part of a phishing or smishing campaign. In these cases, scammers send you a text message or email with a link. The message will look like it's from Venmo and have a call to action, like authorizing a deposit or confirming your account. Scammers hope you’ll click the link without thinking and let them add malware to your device.

Don't tap links in unexpected messages. Remember that Venmo's real MFA text contains no link, and if you get an email from Venmo, confirm the link goes to a Venmo URL before clicking.

4. Offering to send a check

Say you post something for sale online and an interested buyer contacts you. The only problem is that they don’t have any money in their Venmo account, and they’ve asked if they can send you a check instead. Sometimes, they may also send extra funds and ask you to deposit them into their Venmo account. After you finish the transaction, the check bounces, and you’re left without the money or the items you sent.

Venmo's guidance is blunt: do not exchange a check for a payment on Venmo. There's no legitimate reason for it.

5. Fake listings

Scammers post items that are rare, popular, and hard to find, like concert tickets, sneakers, gaming consoles, and hard-to-get electronics. Then they pressure you to pay upfront or leave a deposit to "reserve" it. Once you've paid, the listing and the seller disappear.

Venmo notes a specific tell: scammers will often ask you not to mark the payment as a purchase. That's because tagging it as goods and services is exactly what would make the payment eligible for Purchase Protection.

Research the seller before paying, and be skeptical of anyone who can't produce additional photos or details. If the price or quality seems too good to be true, a prepayment or deposit requirement is likely a scam.

6. Posing as a friend

A scammer changes their username and profile photo to impersonate someone you know, then either requests money or sends money and asks you to send it back. Venmo notes that scammers mine the public feed to find people who've transacted with your friend before, which is a good reason to set your activity to Private.

The situation will usually feel urgent and slightly off: they're at a store, they forgot their wallet, they need it right now. Verify outside of Venmo by texting or calling the actual person. You can also tap the profile to check its public transaction history and network, or confirm the last four digits of the account's phone number before paying.

7. Fake prize or cash reward

You get an email or text saying you've won money from Venmo, with a link to claim it. The link leads to a lookalike Venmo site built to capture your login.

Venmo's rule of thumb: never enter Venmo login information anywhere except venmo.com and the Venmo app, and don't provide account information on social media except to official accounts (@Venmo and @VenmoSupport). Once scammers have your credentials, they can steal your identity and use your account to reach your bank and your contacts.

8. Hacked accounts

While many of these scams come from suspicious accounts, someone you know may have a compromised Venmo account, and scammers could use it to prey on friends and family. Be cautious anytime you receive an unexpected Venmo request.

If it seems suspicious, reach out to the sender to verify before sending any funds. Reach out via text, phone, or in person in case the scammer has access to other accounts.

9. Romance scams

A scammer builds a relationship using a fake profile and photos. Once trust is established, they start making emotional requests for money. Venmo lists the usual asks: plane or bus tickets, a hotel, other expenses to come visit you. Sometimes it escalates into a supposed investment opportunity.

Venmo's guidance is simply not to loan money to people you don't know. If you've never met in person and someone requests money, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise.

10. Crypto scams

Venmo maintains separate guidance for crypto scams, which often involve someone impersonating a celebrity, influencer, or company employee to push a "can't-miss" opportunity or a giveaway.

Venmo says it will never ask for your password or security code, ask you to send crypto to an external wallet, request remote access to your account, or ask you to install software. Financial products and investments of any kind are also listed as ineligible for Purchase Protection, so there's no safety net here.

11. Tech support scams

You search for a company's support number, reach a line run by scammers instead, and get asked to pay for "technical services" by sending money to a Venmo user.

Venmo's advice: instead of searching for a support number, type the company's website in directly and use its contact page. Legitimate companies rarely charge for technical help.

12. Fake job offers and rental deposits

Venmo flags two advance-fee variants worth knowing. In the first, a new "job" requires you to pay upfront to onboard, or to move someone else's money through your Venmo or bank account, which can make you an unwitting money mule. In the second, a "landlord" wants a rent deposit before providing paperwork, keys, or a walkthrough.

The common thread is pressure to send money before you've received anything verifiable. That's the moment to stop.

Is Venmo safe for Facebook Marketplace?

Venmo can be safe for Facebook Marketplace, but only if you use it a specific way. Most people use it the unsafe way by default.

The problem is that a normal friends-and-family Venmo payment to a Marketplace seller has no purchase protection. If the item never arrives, there's nothing to claim against. Venmo's user agreement is built around sending money to people you know and trust, which a stranger on Marketplace isn't.

If you're buying

• Tag the payment as goods and services, or pay a Venmo business profile. Venmo says approved business accounts display "Eligible items covered by Purchase Protection" under the Pay button. This is the only way to get coverage.
• Treat "don't mark it as a purchase" as a hard stop. A seller asking you to strip your own protection is the clearest scam signal on this list.
• Don't pay a deposit to hold an item you haven't seen, especially for high-demand goods like tickets, consoles, or phones.
• For local pickup, consider cash and meet in a public place. Venmo's protection is designed around shipped goods and documented transactions.

If you're selling

• Confirm the money is in your Venmo account before you hand over the item. Screenshots of a payment confirmation prove nothing, and Venmo confirms it has no feature that holds funds until you upload shipping info.
• Never accept a check in exchange for a Venmo payment.
• Know that stolen-card payments can be reversed. Venmo warns that if a scammer pays you using a stolen card or bank account and the real owner reports it, the money can be removed from your Venmo account after you've already shipped.
• Keep proof of fulfillment. Venmo advises sellers to retain records showing the order was fulfilled, plus proof of delivery.

For more on the platform itself, see our guide to avoiding Facebook Marketplace scams.

What to do if you’ve been scammed on Venmo

Move fast. With unauthorized activity in particular, Venmo asks you to report it as soon as possible. Here's how to reach the right channel.

Report the scam to Venmo

Per Venmo's reporting guidance, fake messages of every kind go to one address:

• Suspicious emails or websites: forward the email as an attachment to phishing@venmo.com, then delete it. Don't click anything, don't enter information, and don't change the subject line.
• Suspicious texts or smishing: screenshot the message including the full phone number, forward the screenshot as an attachment to phishing@venmo.com, then delete it.
• Fraudulent phone calls: screenshot your call log showing the number (redact any others), send it to phishing@venmo.com as an attachment, and include details of what the caller asked for.

Venmo notes that phishing@venmo.com is an automated inbox, so don't include personal information or expect a reply.

Report unauthorized activity or a lost payment

For actual money movement, including unauthorized transactions, transfers, account changes, or a payment from a stranger you need reversed, use a live channel instead, per Venmo's contact page:

• In-app chat: Me > Settings > Get Help > Chat With Us, then ask for an agent
• Phone: (855) 812-4430, daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT
• Venmo Debit or Credit Card issues: call the number on the back of the card
• Purchase Protection claim: tap Get Help in the app menu, then Submit a Ticket

Protect the rest of your accounts

Venmo recommends these steps if you entered information on a fake site:

• Change your Venmo password immediately, and anywhere else you reused it.
• Contact your bank and card issuer and tell them what happened.
• Review your recent Venmo activity to confirm you authorized every payment.
• Report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission and to the Better Business Bureau if a business was involved.

Going forward, a password manager makes it easy to keep a unique password on every account. And when you have the choice, linking a credit card rather than a debit card puts an extra layer of issuer protection between a scammer and your checking account.

Bottom line

Venmo is safe for its intended purpose: moving money between people who already know each other. It gets risky the moment a stranger is on the other end, and scammers know it.

Two habits cover most of the risk. First, tag anything you're buying as a goods and services payment so Purchase Protection applies. Second, verify anything urgent through a channel other than the one it arrived on. Call your friend, type the company's website in yourself, and never read a verification code to anyone.

If you've already been scammed, report it to Venmo through in-app chat or by phone right away, change your password, and file with the FTC. It's also worth signing up for an identity theft protection service to monitor your accounts, especially if you handed over login details or personal information. 

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