Cash App and Peer-to-Peer Payment Fraud
Scams exploiting peer-to-peer payment apps to extract irreversible payments through fake offers, impersonation, and social engineering.
Also known as: Venmo fraud, Zelle scam, Cash App scam, P2P payment fraud
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps — including Cash App, Venmo, Zelle, and PayPal Friends and Family — allow users to send money instantly to other users. Once sent, these transfers are typically irreversible, making them attractive to fraudsters who know recovery is extremely difficult.
Common P2P fraud tactics include: fake buyers on marketplace sites who 'accidentally' overpay and request a refund; 'flip' scams promising to double or triple money sent; impersonation of the P2P service's support team asking for account details; and romance scammers requesting money via P2P apps to maintain anonymity.
P2P apps are designed for payments between people who know and trust each other. Never use them to pay strangers for goods or services — use a credit card or PayPal Goods and Services (which has buyer protection) instead. Never send money to 'receive' money, and never send a refund before verifying the original payment has cleared.