The Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan & the Upper Peninsula (BBB) has received several reports over the last few months from consumers who lost thousands of dollars after speaking with an alleged Cash App customer support person.
Consumers say they searched online to find the customer service department phone number for Cash App.
The “representative” on the other end of the line then requested the consumer’s login information to be able to “further assess the problem,” claiming to be transferring funds to a dummy account and back again to see why consumers were having trouble accessing funds.
When, in actuality, the scammers were transferring the consumer’s money into their own accounts with no intention of returning the funds, according to the BBB.
Right now, Cash App does not actually offer customer service via telephone, only via email or through the app.
If a consumer does call the number provided by the company (1-855-351-2274), they will hear a recording telling consumers to seek service via email or their app.
Cash App, a product of the company Square, Inc., based out of San Francisco, California, has been made aware of this issue and responded, in part by saying:
“To ensure we can assist every Cash App Customer as quickly as possible, we primarily support this product via email. We’re working hard to increase Cash App support via other channels and make it even easier for customers to get real-time help with urgent issues.”
One Michigan user reported calling a number they found by Google searching “Cash App Customer Service” and was convinced, by the representative, to send $335.00 a random account, they claimed was dummy account.
Another Michigan resident stated that after calling a number they found on Google, the representative convinced them to download an additional app that allowed the representative to access to their phone screen, once the consumer did that, they watched as the scammer changed all of their account details and sent their money to another account.
“When looking for customer support for any website, it is best to go directly to the source, so in this case to the app itself,” said Melanie Duquesnel, President & CEO of Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan & the Upper Peninsula. “While our first instinct is to do an internet search, it may not always provide the most accurate information. If there is no customer service phone number on the app, chances are they don’t provide customer service over the phone.”
When looking to use any cash transferring app, here are some tips to consider:
- Use money transfer with friends: Protect yourself from scams by only using money transfer apps for their intended purpose -- sending money to people you personally know.
- Enable additional security settings: Check your account settings to see if you can turn on additional security measures, such as multi-factor authentication, requiring a PIN, or using fingerprint recognition like Touch ID.
- Link your money transfer app to a credit card. As with many other purchases, using a credit card will help protect you if you don't get the goods or services you paid for. Linking to a debit card or directly to your bank account does not give you that added protection.
- Use a password on your phone. If you lose your phone - or it's stolen - be sure criminals can't access your payment apps. Secure your phone by choosing a strong password or using the biometric security devices available on many smartphones.
- Check your account to be sure that the money transferred: If you do use a peer-to-peer payment app to sell something, be aware that it takes a few days for some payments to transfer. Be sure that the money transfers before you send the goods. If you have any concerns that a payer didn't really send the money, be sure to check your account directly.
BBB says peer-to-peer payment apps are certainly convenient but without the proper protections, you could sustain significant losses of time, money and in some cases, treasure.
Know who you are working with and if you have to work with someone you don’t know, be ready to lose the money.
