Money transfer apps are apps that have been put in place to help send and receive money from one person, company, or institution to another.
Many people do go for online transfer apps mainly because of their availability. That is, you can access your account at any time you feel you should have access to your account. And you can decide and send or receive money to and from anyone at any time since they work 24h/24 and 7d/7.
Well, before one starts using money transfer apps, they usually go and search for the best money transfer apps in the world Right Now before engaging themselves in this long journey.
They go for the best because they don't want to use the less used ones or ones that won't have security. And with these, scammers have noticed that have also decided to go for these online banks considered amongst the best money transfer apps.
Well, if you search well, then you'll notice that Cash App falls inside the top five list of the best money transfer apps in the world right now and you will also notice the millions of people that do use Cash app to send and receive money.
Because of this, con artists have also used Cash app as a Platform to catch their preys and steal from them. Well, if you are a Cash app user, or if you will wish to start using Cash App, then this article is meant for you.
In this article, we will be showing you some common cash App scams that you will encounter while using Cash app. And it's not only about showing you these scam techniques, but we will also show you how you can avoid these scams and keep your account safe from them.
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Cash App Scams And How to Avoid These Scams 2024
Is Cash App Safe?
Well, Cash App uses the most recent update of Fraudster protection technique which is a Robot that has been programmed to detect any fraud that goes against their privacy policy.
Well, this secures your account against scams and unwanted visitors. Also, they have a two-way factor login which is identified by either your mobile phone number or email address and any one that tries to access your account will be blocked at this end.
They also provided the password ability where you can lock your account with a very strong password; and if any one that tries to steal your mobile phone and access your account, then they will be blocked at the password code.
Noticing these, you can now conclude that Cash App is a Safe platform especially hen they have found all the scamming techniques and have brought a solution to these scamming techniques. And that is also one of the reasons why it falls amongst the best money transfer apps in the world right now.
Some Common Cash App Scams and their solutions
Well, these are some common scams you will frequently see while using cash app and how you can avoid them.
1. Fake email, Texts, and Fake Websites
This is considered as the most common cash app scam and this technique has always been very positive for scammers. When they send you a fake text message, or a fake email address that looks similar to the one Cash App sends and with the same Cash App logo you'll see on Cash App messages.
Where is the Scam? Well, the scams comes when you are convinced already. If you get convinced by them, your next step will determine whether you fell into their trap or not. Most of the times their message will inform you that there was a security bridge and you have to verify your account.
When you read the message, at the end of the message, they will provide a link. That link then sends you to a fake Cash App website where anything you do there on that site, they will see it and later on will just log into your account and will just remove everything in your account and then block your contact and account.
How to Avoid it
Well, it is very simple to avoid it. No one will blame you for reading the email or text message sent to you. But you will be to blame only if you click on the link they provide. The only thing to do after reading this message is to avoid clicking on the link in the message.
If the message is originally from Cash app, then when you log into the application you have downloaded, the same message should pop up in your account.
And so, just don't log into your account on a website. Download the original application from Play store, or App store, put in your login credentials, and then always access your account from the application.
2. Cash Flipping or Payment Claiming Scam
Cash flipping is another form of scam that at least everyone do not believe in it. You will usually receive a message informing you that you were chosen to win a certain prize.
And before that award is given to you, then you'll have to send some money first before they send the award
What is wrong with this is that when you send the money, the scammer will just receive the money and then block you and you will never receive the award.
Just don't believe anyone on Cash App that says you have won an award. Also, Cash App does not let you unlock awards by sending cash. If you win any award, then you will receive it without having to send any money to anyone
And anyone that asks for money so that they can double it or triple it, then that person is a scammer or con artist. Don't even discuss with that person if not the person will convince you to send it and before you notice it, the money is gone.
3. Puppet/Pet Deposit Scam
This is another frequent scam that is alarming in the world right now. What they do is that they take very real pictures of pets(Cats, or dogs especially) and then put a price on them.
They usually advertise on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, in fact they advertise on all social media platforms to attract people and claim they sell them. Some of them create websites and that website becomes like a marketing website to sell where each pet or article has a price on it.
What they do is that they say you should pay half or a quarter of the money to show that you really want to purchase it. And that they will ship the pet to you and then you will pay the remaining cash after the shipping.
What happens is that after you have sent the money, they will block you and you will never receive any pet.
4. Mistaken or Accidental Payment Scam
The con artist can at times send you money and claim that the money was sent mistakenly. And when you receive the money, they will usually contact you and request that you should send the money back to them.
Where is the Scam? The scam here is that, when you receive the money and with a kind heart try to send the money back to the scammer, your money will also be sent along side his money without you even noticing.
What to Do?
You can refund the payment to the sender but do not create a new payment to send the person the amount. To Refund a payment, follow this link.
If you don't know the person(Which is always the case), you should Decline the payment requests.
If it happens again, you can then block the sender or requester
Take steps to secure your account
5. Claiming to Be Cash App Customer Support
Scammers never lack techniques to scam Cash App users. And claiming to be a Cash App support, is another way that some of them bring up to scam cash app users.
What they do is that they contact you and chat very fluently and convince you that they are cash App customer support.
After that, they will start asking for some of your private info you will never thing it can be a scammer. They will never ask for your password and some other things that will make you suspect them.
Once they have some other informations about you, they will just open your account and then wipe off everything in your account. Once that is done, the chat with you will be over and they will block you.
What to do?
First thing to know is that Cash App does not a live customer service that will chat with you. They only have automated customer support.
6. The Cash App Friday Program
Cash app offers a Giveaway program on Fridays called the Cash App Friday. And they usually select some users and then give them or offer them a little compensation for using the platform.
But because of this, some people have used it as an advantage to take money from others. What they do is that they text any random person and then say to them that they won the reward and to unlock it, they have to deposit some cash to them first.
After depositing it, they will block you and you won't receive anything.
The first thing to know here is that Cash App won't text you privately to tell you that you won the award. What they will do is that they will simply reward you and then you will receive an email from them that you had the award without you having to chat with them.
7. Romantic Promises
There are a lot of dating apps that scammers now use those apps to scam others. They claim to be someone else and expect that you send them money.
When you send them money for you guys to see each other, they will never come to you. They usually request money via Cash App.
And this is considered a Cash App scam because you sent the money via Cash App. That is why we will always say that you should not send money to someone that you don't know since it can likely be a scam.
What is the Basic thing to Know to Avoid Cash App Scams?
While using this app, there are some thing you should always have in mind to avoid being scammed. They are;
- Pay money to only those you know and trust.
- Before sending any payment, you have to double-check all recipient's information to make sure you are sending money to the right person.
- To assist you confirm that the other individual is the right one, look at their profile.
- Never transfer cash to a person who promises to do anything in the future (like free money in return, for example)
How to Stay Safe on Cash App?
1. Reinforce Security: Enable notifications in the Cash App to track payments, enable two-factor verification in any linked email account, and make sure a passcode is required when making any payments.
Also add a very strong password or PIN or biometric authentication for lock-screen security.
2. Be Aware of Phishing Scams: Never click links or respond to emails, texts, or social media messages you didn't ask for. Keep in mind that only emails coming from @square.com, @squareup.com, or @cash.app are authentic Cash App emails.
Additionally, no money, PIN, SSN, sign-in code, or download of a remote access app will ever be required by the company's support staff.
3. Never send money to some one you don't know
4. Don't search for cash app support on Google. Most cash app support you will see on google are scams. You should use the cash app support provided in the application.
Conclusion on some cash app scams and how to avoid them.
As long as you are a Cash app user, then you should be prepared for this. Scammers are always looking for a means to scam people and they have also increased in a very huge number recently.
And so, knowing these scams and having a technique how you can avoid them, is the best thing for you right now. Be prepared to be a victim if you've just started using cash app. But also knw how to kick them away.
Some Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs) on cash app scams
A. What can I do if I get scammed on Cash App?
You can report a probable scam payment by doing the following:
- In the top right corner of the app, tap the profile symbol.
- Then tap Support
- Select Declare a Payment Problem
- Choose the payment and adhere to the instructions.
If a probable scam account rather than a single payment is linked to the fraud, report and block the account by doing the following:
- To view a profile, use the Cash App and tap on a customer avatar. You can also use the Name, $Cashtag, Phone, or Email fields to search for profiles.
- Click "Report" or "Block" at the bottom of the profile after scrolling there.
- Choose one option, then carry out the subsequent steps.
You can also call 1 (800) 969-1940 to speak with the Cash Support team by phone or through your smartphone.
B. Will Cash App Ask for Personal Account information?
To make sure we're helping the appropriate individual, Cash Support could ask for specific account information. To safely collect information, we employ encrypted forms using Sprinklr and SendSafely. This information may include things like your legal name, email, phone number, or the last three to four digits of a linked bank account or credit card.
Never divulge private information, such as your Cash App PIN or sign-in code, to anyone. Your sign-in code, PIN, or any other private information, such as the details of your entire bank account, won't ever be requested from you by Cash Support.
You will never be required to transmit money, buy anything, download any software for "remote access," or carry out any sort of "test" transaction by Cash Support.
C. Can I dispute a purchase if I pay someone ahead of time?
Never give someone you don't trust money up front for something they've promised you in the future (like a puppy from an upcoming litter or a lease on a new apartment). The majority of payments are immediate and typically cannot be reversed.
Please refer to dispute a purchase for instructions on how to do so. Generally speaking, if an offer seems too good to be true (such as free money in exchange for a minor fee), it probably is.