Ever found a strange payment request on Venmo? According to CBS News, golf superstar Scottie Scheffler — a 16-time PGA Tour winner — recently deleted his Venmo account after being bombarded with payment requests from strangers tied to his tournament results.
While most users won’t face this level of attention, Scheffler’s experience underscores the risks of using payment apps without adjusting privacy settings.
Venmo’s public setting problem
Scheffler said he received multiple payment requests from gamblers looking to collect money when he didn’t win. According to CBS News, some users sent him small payments after victories, but the payment requests outnumbered the payments.
With Venmo accounts set to public by default, anyone can see your profile, send a payment, or send an unwanted request.
That’s a headache for public figures, but ordinary users could also become targets for scams if they don’t adjust privacy controls as soon as they set up their accounts.
Who can see your Venmo payments?
If you haven’t checked your settings since signing up, chances are every transaction you make is visible to the world.
That means people you don’t know might see your lunch payments, your Sunday bill splits, or any emoji-filled notes you send — and that information can give scammers enough details to target you later.
Venmo offers three privacy options: public (the default), friends only, and private. Switching to private keeps your transactions between you and the recipient alone, and Venmo allows you to make your entire payment history private, after setting up your account, if you didn’t initially adjust privacy settings.
If you pay someone whose settings aren’t confidential, Venmo uses the stricter setting, so you gain protection by setting to a higher privacy setting from the start.
Watch for payment scams and tricks
Regular users aren’t immune to “accidental” payments or odd requests from strangers. Scammers can send small amounts to lure you into responding, then follow up with bigger asks, according to Venmo’s website.
The company cautions against accepting payments from people you don’t recognize and recommends contacting their support team for guidance before taking action.
Even requests from accounts that look like friends or family should be double-checked. Venmo suggests confirming with your contact outside the app, since scammers can mimic familiar names to trick you into responding.
Staying cautious when reviewing any unfamiliar transaction is a simple but powerful way to avoid trouble.
How to use Venmo safely
Venmo is a convenient way to handle payments, but staying vigilant makes a real difference.
Strengthening your privacy settings, keeping your friends list to only people you know well, and using a unique email address for Venmo can make it harder for strangers to find and target you.
For those especially mindful of privacy, switching to another payment service with stricter defaults might be worthwhile. No matter which app you choose, knowing how to spot and sidestep scams can help keep your money, and your peace of mind.
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