Payment apps are easy targets for scams. Here’s how to spot phony receipts

Federal data finds that in the last few years, losses from bank transfer and payment fraud scams spiked almost 150%.

News 12 Staff

Aug 7, 2024, 4:26 PM

Updated 35 days ago

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PayPal, Venmo and Zelle are convenient apps used to send and receive money digitally — but they're an easy target for scams. Lawmakers are trying to change that.
Federal data finds that in the last few years, losses from bank transfer and payment fraud scams spiked almost 150%.
An emailed receipt can be deceiving. If you open a link or call a number, you could be directed to someone “claiming" to be a customer service agent.
"They are going to walk you through a process that's going to mirror how you legitimately tied these accounts together, but they're going to be collecting all of that information, your financial information, your username and password,” said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of identity theft resource center.

Here's how you can tell if the receipt is phony:

  • The email says your Visa debit card ending in xxxx, and there's not actual numbers.
  • Look at who is sending the message.
  • Call your bank to confirm if those charges are there.
Democratic lawmakers have since introduced a bill to protect consumers who are defrauded.