Scammers are Now ‘Accidentally’ Depositing Money in Strangers’ Venmo Accounts

The lowest of the low are back at it again.

The latest scam involves someone “accidentally” depositing money in the victim’s Venmo or Zelle account and then claiming it was a mistake and asking for it back.

KHOU reports that the Better Business Bureau (BBB) started getting reports of the scam last year, but these days they’re getting complaints on an almost daily basis.

Get our free mobile app

How does the scam work?

The way it works is that they deposit the money into your account using a stolen credit card. Eventually the person whose card was stolen will cancel the card, which will lead to the money disappearing from the victim’s account.

That’s where this scam really pisses me off. These scammers are taking advantage of nice, honorable people who are doing the right thing by returning the money that was “mistakenly” deposited into their account.

This scam isn’t like someone stealing your credit card info and racking up a bunch of charges you’ll eventually get back. No, when it comes to money transfer apps, your money is gone forever when you send it. Seriously – you’ll never get it back.

What to do if a stranger sends you money.

The BBB says the best thing to do if you receive money from a stranger is to not immediately send it back. The money will most likely disappear from your account within a couple of days once the person whose card was stolen realizes their information has been hacked.

Be careful out there. No one wants to waste their hard-earned money.