Venmo Scam Asking for Email Address - How to Protect Yourself

If a buyer on an app like Facebook Marketplace insists they need your email to finalize a payment, stop communicating with them immediately.

How the "Venmo Email" Scam Works

1. The Request: The scammer pretends to buy something you are selling. They state they will pay via Venmo but claim they "need your email address" to complete the transaction.
2. The Fake Email: Once you give them your email, they send you a fake, spoofed message designed to look like an official payment confirmation from Venmo.
3. The Trap: The email will claim that you have been paid, but the funds are "on hold". It usually states that because you have a personal account and they have a "business account," you must first pay a fee (often $200–$500) to "expand your account limit" or "upgrade to business" before the funds are released.
4. The Loss: The scammer will tell you to send that upgrade fee back to them, promising you will be reimbursed. If you send it, they block you, and your money is gone. No payment processor requires you to pay a fee to upgrade your account this way.

Critical Red Flags to Notice

• Demanding an Email: Requests for your email address, legal name, or phone number just to initiate a simple peer-to-peer payment.
• "Kindly" or Urgent Language: Emails that pressure you to act fast to save your account or use formal, unnatural language.
• Impersonal Greetings: The email addresses you as "Dear User" or "Hello Venmo Member" instead of your actual first and last name.
• App Inactivity: The email claims a payment is pending, but your physical Venmo App shows absolutely zero transaction history or notifications.
• Fake Domain Senders: Check the actual sender address. Official Venmo emails only come from @venmo.com. Scammers use lookalikes like @gmail.com, @outlook.com, or fake domains like @venmovipsupport.com.

What to Do Next

• Do not send any money or click any links inside that email.
• Check your actual Venmo App directly. If the money isn't in your balance, you haven't been paid.
• Take screenshots of the scammer's profile and forward the phishing email directly to phishing@venmo.com to report it.
• Block the buyer immediately on Venmo and whatever platform (like Facebook Marketplace) you used to talk to them.