untrappable

Venmo text scam: how to spot the fake alert

Editorially reviewed · Last updated July 21, 2026

Yes — this is a scam. Venmo doesn't text you links to “cancel” a payment or verify your account.

Text Message · Today 8:41 AM
from +1 (555) 014-2090
Venmo: A payment of $499.00 to an unknown recipient is pending. If this wasn't you, cancel it now: venmo-secure.info/cancel
The Text message, as received

Other versions you might get: A text about a login from a new device, a code to “confirm” a payment you never sent, “Your Venmo account is frozen,” or a fake refund that asks you to “verify” your bank to receive it.

Word-for-word versions going around

Each of these is a real text, quoted exactly as people received it. If yours matches one — even loosely — it’s the same scam.

  • “Venmo here! NEVER share this code via call/text. ONLY YOU should enter the code. BEWARE: If someone asks for the code, it's a scam. Code: 346778 Sign-in Detected ! Location : Near , Goodyear (AZ) US. -iPad. Thursday, 25 May, 2023 Not you ? Tap the link to sign-in now !”
    Documented by Reddit r/Scams · May 2023

What to do right now

  1. Don't tap the link or call any number in it. Don't reply — even “STOP” tells them the number is live.
  2. Check the real way. Open the Venmo app yourself or type venmo.com — any real alert shows up there.
  3. If you already tapped or entered anything: change your Venmo password from the app, turn on two-factor, and call your bank if you shared card or login details.
  4. Report it. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), then file at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
  5. Delete the message.

How to make sure it never bites you

You got this because your number is on a list scammers buy and resell. Get it removed and add a layer between you and them — see how to stop spam texts for good.

Untrappable · Public service advisory

Stop the next one at the source

You got this because your details are on lists that get bought, sold, and leaked. You can't unspill that, but you can make it useless to a scammer. Start with the free steps — they do most of the work.

Optional — if you'd rather it was handled for you

If you'd rather have it watched for you, an identity-protection service monitors your accounts, SSN, and the dark web, warns you the moment something new appears, and helps you recover if someone gets through.

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Frequently asked

Is the Venmo “pending payment” or “suspicious activity” text a scam?
Yes. Venmo doesn't text you a link to cancel a payment or verify your account. A message about a charge you didn't make, with a link and a deadline to “cancel” it, is built to rush you onto a fake login page. Open the Venmo app yourself and check your activity — a real problem shows up there, never through a text link.
Venmo texted me a code to confirm it's me — should I send it back?
Never. Venmo says it will never ask for a verification code sent to your phone — no real Venmo agent will ask for it under any circumstances. If someone calls or texts claiming to be Venmo and wants you to read back a code, they're trying to take over your account. That code is for you to type into the app, never to share.
Venmo “support” asked me to send a payment to verify my account — is that real?
No. Venmo says it will never ask you to send money to “verify” your account, install another app, or let someone access your device — those are all scam moves. Reach real Venmo support only through the app or venmo.com, and report a suspicious text by forwarding a screenshot (including the full phone number) to phishing@venmo.com.
I got a text that Venmo detected a new sign-in or a login from a new device — is it real?
Judge it by what it asks you to do, not by how alarming it sounds. A real Venmo message never needs you to tap a link in a text: Venmo says that if there's an urgent need to act on your account, you'll find it by logging into Venmo or opening the app yourself. A “new sign-in detected — secure your account here” text with a link is the scam, and the link drops you on a fake login page built to capture your password. Open the Venmo app, check your account and its active devices there, and if anything looks off change your password and turn on two-factor. Then report the text by screenshotting it, including the full phone number, and forwarding it to phishing@venmo.com.

Related scams

Sources

A public service

Help protect someone else

Scams spread because people stay quiet about them. If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. Passing it on is the easiest good thing you'll do today. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.