A 75-year-old Okatie resident reported to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office suspicious activity on her Venmo account.
The woman said she listed a handbag on Facebook Marketplace and was contacted by an interested party through Facebook Messenger. As a result, the woman created Venmo account to complete the transaction.
Shortly after sending the interested party her Venmo account, the woman said she received an authentic looking email from Venmo that instructed her to send the tracking information for the package prior to the release of funds.
After sharing the tracking information for the package sent to an address in Illinois, the woman reported a problem with her Venmo account and received another email. This additional email instructed her to purchase a prepaid debit card for $500 and to share that information.
After being asked to purchase a prepaid debit card, the woman determined she was likely the victim of a scam, spending an additional $100 to initiate a hold on the package sent.
Venmo provides a list of common scams in connection with its platform in the Help Center. You can find that information HERE.
Should you believe you’ve been a victim of a scam, please report it to your local law enforcement agency.
