While you may feel bad about yourself when you get scammed, you shouldn’t; it happens to all of us. Some scams may be easy to detect, but some scams are not the fault of the person being scammed.
Many banks will refund you when you send money to a scammer, but Cash App is not a bank. Due to the instant transfers and the non-insured money, Cash App won’t refund your money if you happen to mistakenly make a transfer to a scammer on the platform.
However, sending a payment by mistake to a scammer is not the only kind of scam that exists on the Cash App. You may have given out you’re the details of your account by mistake, which will give the scammers access to your account.
In this blog post, we’ll outline the steps you should take if you’ve been scammed on Cash App, including how to report the scam to the platform and seek recourse. We’ll also provide tips on how to avoid scams in the future and protect your personal information.
What Is A Cash App Scam?
A Cash App scam is a fraudulent scheme that occurs on the Cash App platform, which is a mobile payment service owned by Square, Inc. Scammers may use a variety of tactics to defraud users of the platform, such as posing as legitimate businesses or individuals, offering fake products or services, or requesting personal or financial information.
Some common types of Cash App scams include phishing schemes, in which the scammer attempts to obtain personal or financial information by pretending to be a legitimate entity; fake product or service scams, in which the scammer offers a non-existent product or service for sale; and money flipping scams, in which the scammer promises to “flip” a small amount of money into a larger sum, but ultimately takes the victim’s money without providing any return. It’s important to be aware of these and other types of scams and to take steps to protect yourself when using Cash App or other online payment platforms.
Can You Get Scammed on Cash App?
Yes, it is possible to get scammed on Cash App. There are several ways that scammers may try to defraud you on Cash App, including:
- Phishing scams: Scammers may send fake emails or texts claiming to be from Cash App to get you to enter your login information on a fake website.
- Fraudulent payment scams: Scammers may send a payment on Cash App and then request a refund, claiming that they sent the payment in error.
- Money flipping scams: Scammers may promise to “flip” a small amount of money into a larger amount, but will actually take your money and not provide any returns.
- Investment scams: Scammers may claim to have an investment opportunity and ask you to send money on Cash App in order to take part.
- Lottery scams: Scammers may claim that you have won a lottery or sweepstakes and request payment on Cash App in order to receive your prize.
It’s important to be careful and protect yourself when using Cash App. Always verify the identity of the person you are sending money to, and do not send money to someone you do not know. If you receive a suspicious message or payment request, do not click on any links and contact Cash App support for help.
Why Do People Fall For Cash App Scams?
You might wonder why people fall for scams. The answer is simple: they’re desperate, gullible and greedy!
People are also naive and don’t think twice about their actions when it comes to money. They’ll do anything to get out of a bad situation, even if it means taking a risk on something that could potentially put them in financial ruin.
I Got Scammed on Cash App What Do I Do?
If you got scammed on Cash App, you should try taking steps to ensure that it doesn’t happen in the future. Depending on the nature of the scam, there are several steps you can take to ensure that you don’t get scammed multiple times on Cash App.
- Request A Refund From The Recipient.
If you were scammed on Cash App, the first thing you should do is to request for a refund. Chances are that the recipient will issue a refund and you’ll get your money back in 1-3 business days.
- Cancel The Payment.
Once you detect a scam in your recent transaction, follow the steps below to cancel the payment fast.
- Tap the Activity tab on their Cash App home screen.
- Next, select the payment in question.
- Next, tap Refund.
- Press OK.
- Dispute the transaction on Cash App
If after cancellation but you still didn’t get a refund, dispute the transaction with Cash App’s customer service.
- Tap the Activity tab on your Cash App home screen.
- Select the transaction in question and tap the … in the top right corner of the screen.
- Select Need Help & Cash App Support.
- Tap Dispute this Transaction.
- Contact Your Bank
If your bank/card is linked to your Cash App account, what we recommend you to do now is to contact your bank and explain what happened. They will fight and get your money back if possible. They will also tell you the next step to take to avoid getting scammed again.
- Report And Block The Scammer
When you block someone on Cash App, they will not be able to find you on Cash App or be able to transact with you again. To avoid getting scammed again, what you should do is to block the scammer. Follow the steps below.
- Tap the Activity tab on your Cash App home screen
- Tap on their name in your activity feed.
- Scroll to the bottom of their profile and select “Block This Person.”
How To Know If You Were Scammed On Cash App
To determine what to do after falling victim to a scam, find out which of the below scenarios applies to you and follow the instructions below it.
- Sending money to a scammer
The most popular kind of scam is when you send money to another user as supposed payment for a good or service, only to receive the silent treatment after they receive the payment. These kinds of scams are so common because it’s easy to convince people to pay a couple of bucks for a product or service.
When you fall victim to this kind of scam, you shouldn’t be trying to recover your money. To be honest, the only way you can recover your money from this Cash App hack is the scammer sending it back to you, and you know how likely that scenario is.
Instead of trying to recover your money, you should try to contact Cash App support to report the account as a scam. If Cash App noticed evidence of suspicious activity on the account, they’ll likely bring it down, preventing you and other Cash App users from falling victim to the same kind of scam.
- Giving your login details to a scammer
A probably more impactful Cash App scam is inadvertently giving your login details to a scammer on Cash App. One of the telltale signs of the average scammer is that they’re pushy, and they’re always demanding more information about you.
In some cases, a scammer may pose as a customer service representative from Cash App, claiming that there’s a problem with your account. In a bid to help you fix the “problem,” they’ll convince you to let go of your vital account details, ultimately giving them access to your Cash App.
Before falling into this kind of scam, it’s crucial to note that Cash App doesn’t offer live support over the phone. If you received a phone call from anyone pretending to be a representative from Cash App, it’s most likely a scam, and engaging with them will cost you money.
Another format that scammers use to defraud unsuspecting Cash App users is posing as someone that’s giving money away. To win, they’ll require people to submit sensitive information about their Cash App account, which will ultimately give the scammers access to the account.
Scamming you by obtaining your login details is a lot worse than any other kind of Cash App scam, as you’ll potentially lose everything in your account. If you use the account to receive deposits from your employer, there’s likely a huge amount to lose.
While Cash App may ask for some details of your account like your name, email, or the last three or four digits of your linked card, they don’t ask for sensitive information like your PIN or your authentication code. Also, no Cash App representative will ask you about this information over the phone; you’ll only provide them through encrypted data collection formats.
In addition to that, always ensure you’re using the official Cash App account from the App Store or Google Play Store. If you downloaded an app from an external source like Chrome, it’s most likely a phishing attempt to get your login details. Additionally, Cash App doesn’t offer an app for desktops.
How to Protect Yourself from Scams on Cash App
Here are some ways you can protect yourself from scams on Cash App:
- Verify the identity of the person you are sending money to. Scammers may try to impersonate someone you know and trust, so it’s important to verify their identity before sending money.
- Be cautious of requests for money. If someone you don’t know asks you to send them money via Cash App, it is likely a scam.
- Avoid clicking on links in suspicious emails or texts. Scammers may send you a link that looks like it’s from Cash App, but is actually a fake login page used to steal your information.
- Enable account notifications. This will allow you to receive notifications for every payment and withdrawal made on your account, so you can catch any fraudulent activity right away.
- Use a unique PIN code. Creating a unique PIN code for your Cash App account can help protect it from unauthorized access.
- Report suspicious activity. If you receive a suspicious payment or message, report it to Cash App by contacting their support team.
By following these tips, you can help protect yourself from scams on Cash App.
READ MORE: Top 13 Cash App Scams: How to Avoid Them
Conclusion
Getting scammed is never a pleasing experience. When you get scammed while shopping, your bank should refund the money to you if it’s properly insured. As you may already know, most credit and debit cards are insured, giving you a lot of freedom while spending.
However, the money on your Cash App account is not insured, and sending money to a fraudster will only see you lose your money. If you’ve already been scammed, follow the steps in this article to protect people you know and avoid falling into scams in the future.
FAQS
How do I report the scam to Cash App’s support team?
To report a scam to Cash App’s support team, open the app and navigate to the “Profile” tab. From there, select “Support” and then “Something Else.” Finally, select “Account Settings” and then “Report a Scam.”
Will Cash App refund me if I get scammed?
Cash App has a fraud protection policy, but it’s not guaranteed that you’ll receive a refund.
Suzan was born in 1969 in Los Angeles and grew up in the San Fernando Valley. She attended UCLA, graduating in 1992 with a BA in Social Welfare.
From 1999 to 2004, Weiss was a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School of Arts and Social Sciences and an adjunct professor of creative writing at The New School’s Eugene Lang College. She has also taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, New York University, and Columbia University.
She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.