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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!

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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.

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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

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finalmessy t1_ivb3y1c wrote

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

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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

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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

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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?

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phenry17 OP t1_ivb56ux wrote

Replying to enraged_hbo_max_user (#457,728)

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.

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enraged_hbo_max_user t1_ivb5lai wrote

Replying to phenry17 (#457,758)

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.

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phenry17 OP t1_ivb6hlw wrote

Replying to enraged_hbo_max_user (#457,784)

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.

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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!

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enraged_hbo_max_user t1_ivb72de wrote

Replying to phenry17 (#457,825)

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

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phenry17 OP t1_ivb78gm wrote

Replying to WitcheryWoo (#457,832)

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.

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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

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phenry17 OP t1_ivbc60t wrote

Replying to enraged_hbo_max_user (#457,902)

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.

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phenry17 OP t1_ivbciqa wrote

Replying to RandomStranger79 (#457,887)

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.

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TheApprentice19 t1_ivbgokg wrote

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

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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?

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rmr236 t1_ivbh52b wrote

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

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BurghPuppies t1_ivbho65 wrote

Replying to phenry17 (#457,671)

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.

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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.

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phenry17 OP t1_ivbk4jr wrote

Replying to BurghPuppies (#458,394)

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.

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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.

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Jellyblowfish t1_ivbl1l7 wrote

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

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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.

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stephbeth82 t1_ivblf5i wrote

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

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phenry17 OP t1_ivbm4l1 wrote

Replying to Otherwise_Wrangler22 (#458,535)

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!

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phenry17 OP t1_ivbmhfm wrote

Replying to stephbeth82 (#458,540)

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 :/

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iSoReddit t1_ivbms8n wrote

Yeah don’t do anything at all

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Otherwise_Wrangler22 t1_ivbnxxr wrote

Replying to phenry17 (#458,565)

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!!!

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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.

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SubTwatica_1124 t1_ivbo3zn wrote

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

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luisbeast165 t1_ivbp9sr wrote

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

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[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.

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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.

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AlexanderPriceMusic t1_ivbsfkk wrote

🎵It’s a scam as old as time🎵 🎵Beauty and the Beast 🎵

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probably_art t1_ivbut8r wrote

Replying to RandomStranger79 (#457,669)

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

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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.

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Junkdoe10 t1_ivc195x wrote

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

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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.

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Brezo2k t1_ivc5tcr wrote

U came up my boy

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albyssa t1_ivcgcm2 wrote

Replying to unlikely-contender (#458,710)

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.

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albyssa t1_ivcgswv wrote

Replying to abortionleftovers (#458,356)

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.

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Willow-girl t1_ivcmeqm wrote

Replying to Otherwise_Wrangler22 (#458,535)

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!

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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.

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___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.

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phenry17 OP t1_ivcwysg wrote

Replying to ___cats___ (#460,343)

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. 👀

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abortionleftovers t1_ivcy20q wrote

Replying to Sobar1 (#460,498)

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

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Rich4718 t1_ivczbh6 wrote

Cash it out close your account

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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.

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phenry17 OP t1_ivd1bep wrote

Replying to kmc1124 (#460,637)

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

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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.

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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.

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SunfishStudio t1_ivdojzy wrote

Replying to phenry17 (#457,732)

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?"

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Ok-Leek3162 t1_ivdu09v wrote

Replying to Formal_Development_4 (#461,424)

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.

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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?

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mizmittington t1_iveaudi wrote

Replying to Daneosaurus (#459,356)

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.

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HeyEmbar t1_ivf0xad wrote

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

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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!

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Nya7 t1_ivffb9z wrote

Replying to Lord_Paddington (#464,061)

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

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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.

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