MARSHFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – If you buy, sell, and trade using those peer-to-peer payment apps, this scam warning is for you. A small business owner could have lost $1,000.<\/p>\n
Boyd Craig with X-S Storage Thrift Store on the Marshfield Square will make you deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are trying to help people who can\u2019t afford the high-dollar stuff,\u201d said Craig.<\/p>\n
A so-called customer nudged him on Facebook. Asking if he had a dresser. Craig sent her a photo of a dresser for $25. She wanted it and asked Venmo to send the money.<\/p>\n
Craig received an email regarding a $25 pending payment and was advised to call Venmo tech support. The problem? His Venmo account won\u2019t accept business payments. The customer would need to send him $1,000. It\u2019s a miracle. The customer was willing to do that under one condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWill you promise to pay it back?\u201d chuckled Craig. \u201cThis person is not going to send me $1,000 for a $25 dresser. They didn\u2019t even look at the others we had.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, we see overpayment scams reported to the BBB scam tracker all the time,\u201d said Pamela Hernandez with the Better Business Bureau. \u201cThat money is gone immediately, and there\u2019s nothing you can do to get that back.\u201d <\/p>\n
Fortunately, Craig didn\u2019t lose a dime.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anybody is asking you for money or sends you a bunch of money, walk away,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Remember, these peer-to-peer payment apps don\u2019t have the same consumer protections as credit cards. That\u2019s why scammers like to use them.<\/p>\n
Only send money to people you really know, like your hairdresser or babysitter. <\/p>\n
If you\u2019re buying something from a stranger, wait until you meet them in person to see them and the product before sending money.<\/p>\n
If you come across a scam, report it to the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General, and tell On Your Side about it too. <\/p>\n