Ever sent money on Venmo or Zelle? Payment app scams are rising — here’s how to protect your money

Core Insights - The safety of payment apps is not determined by the brand but by user behavior, particularly in recognizing scams [2][3] Group 1: Payment App Scams - Payment app scams are prevalent and costly, with immediate money transfers making it easy for fraudsters to exploit users [4] - A Pew Research Center survey in 2022 indicated that about 13% of U.S. adults using payment apps reported falling victim to scams [4] - Complaints regarding payment app fraud are increasing, with the FTC receiving 90,571 reports in 2024, nearly double from the previous year [5] Group 2: User Awareness and Protection - The majority of Americans are aware of the issue, with 90% of U.S. adults recognizing it as a problem according to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey [5] - Unlike credit cards and bank accounts, payment apps generally do not offer mechanisms for users to recover lost funds after scams [6] - Consumer Reports found that major payment apps like Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, and Apple Cash do not fully reimburse users tricked into authorizing payments to scammers [7]