Clearwater Police detectives are warning residents and visitors about a scam related to cell phones and Venmo accounts.
Six times within the last month, a suspect or suspects have approached people and asked if they could use their phone to call for a ride or get in contact with a friend or relative. The person claims not to have his or her own phone.
When the phone is handed over, the person pretends to make a call, but instead goes to the victim’s Venmo account. In no time at all, money is being transferred without the victim’s knowledge. All six victims have seen hundreds of dollars transferred from their accounts. At times, one of the suspects acts to distract the victim while the transaction is being made.
Clearwater Police detectives warn residents and visitors not to let anyone borrow your phone, no matter what someone says the need is. If you want to be a good Samaritan, offer to dial a number for someone, then put the device on speaker phone. Under no circumstances, especially in the era of COVID-19, should you hand your phone over to a stranger for use.
A setting in the Venmo app, not turned on by default, will make it necessary to enter a pin or biometrics to log in the app. Users are encouraged to activate that feature to prevent fraud if someone were to take possession of your mobile device.
Detective Selena Hyppolite from the Clearwater Police Department
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