Venmo email scam: is that payment email real?
Editorially reviewed · Last updated September 8, 2026
Yes — this is a scam. Venmo doesn't email you a link to “verify your account” to release a payment.
Exhibit · Email
Other versions you might get: “Your account has been frozen,” a fake payment receipt for something you never bought, or a buyer “paying” for your marketplace listing whose payment is “on hold until you upgrade to a business account.” Same fix every time: check the app, not the email.
What to do right now
- Don't click the link. Don't reply.
- Open the Venmo app and check your balance and activity. If the payment or the problem isn't in the app, the email is fake.
- If you entered your Venmo login: change your password in the app immediately, review linked cards and banks, and check Settings for unknown devices. If you entered card details, call your bank.
- Report it. Forward the email to phishing@venmo.com, then file at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- Delete it and mark it as phishing.
Reduce the risk of another scam
Do not use the message’s link to check the claim. Open the real service yourself. If you paid or shared account details, start with what to do after a scam. Blocking and reporting can reduce unwanted contact, but they cannot stop every attempt or tell you how the sender found you.
● Public service · free steps first
Take the free protection steps first
A suspicious message does not tell us how someone found your details. If you shared personal information, start with the official recovery guidance. You can also freeze your credit for free.
- Freeze your credit — free at all three bureausRestricts access to your credit report for new credit applications. It does not protect existing accounts from misuse.
- Report it and get a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.govThe FTC walks you through exactly what to do next, for free.
Decide what protection you need
Start with the free controls above. Compare what a paid service would add only after deciding which problem remains.
No purchase needed. How we use evidence.
Frequently asked
Does Venmo put payments on hold until you verify your account?
I entered my Venmo password on the linked page — what now?
A buyer says their Venmo payment to me is on hold until I upgrade my account — is that real?
How do I tell a real Venmo email from a fake one?
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Sources
- 01Mobile Payment Apps: How To Avoid a Scam When You Use One— Federal Trade Commission
- 02How to recognize and avoid phishing scams— Federal Trade Commission
- 03My personal Venmo payment is pending— help.venmo.com
- 04Venmo payment holds— help.venmo.com
- 05Official security and fraud guidance— help.venmo.com
Pass it on
Help protect someone else
If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.