Venmo is a mobile payment app that PayPal owns. The service allows users to transfer money to other Venmo users through the mobile app. The app debuted in 2009 and was marketed towards users who shared services and wanted to split bills. Items like rent, utilities, dinner, movies, and other expenses are easily divided in the Venmo app.
Apps such as this are avenues for scammers to attempt to separate the user from their money. This particular text scam is probably not new, but some users have been receiving it the past few months, us included. The text message isn’t always the same, and the wording can vary, but it always contains a link for the target to click.
One user on Reddit posted this:
I just got two texts (seven minutes apart) that said, “because you have used Venmo for over a year, please claim your $200 gift from us,” with a link to click that goes to prudentceconvictd dot com or something. I didn’t click the link, but I’m wondering if this is a known scam? Should I/can I report it somehow? I rarely even use Venmo.
Our particular text, which we have received multiple times, read: “Dear Venmo User: You have been selected to receive a free gift valued at least $100 for a 2 minute survey,” followed by a URL to click.
You should know that these types of text messages are phishing for your information, and you should not click on these links. Delete the text or if you feel you need to know for sure, contact Venmo customer service and ask.
