Seven Common Cash App Scams and How To Avoid Them

Updated on March 28, 2025.

Cash App is a mobile payment app that allows you to send and receive money conveniently with friends and family. Despite Cash App being a safe way to send money to people you know, Cash App is not always safe to use when transacting with strangers. Several common Cash App scams include cash flipping, accidental payments and phishing messages. By falling for these scams, you can lose your money and even your identity.

Continue reading to learn the most common Cash App scams, how to report them and how to avoid falling for them.

1. Cash flipping

One of the most common scams on Cash App is cash flipping, where a scammer promises to increase your money if you send them funds in the form of fees or for account verification. For example, a scammer could claim to be an expert financial investor and ask you to send them money to invest in a successful project. If you send them your money over Cash App, the scammer will accept it but never send you anything in return.

How to identify cash flipping scams

• Too-good-to-be-true promises: No legitimate business flips cash, so if someone promises to send you free money in exchange for an investment, it’s likely a scam.
• Fake testimonials: The scammer may intrigue you with credentials or proof that they are a financial expert. This tactic is used to gain your trust, but you should not trust them.

2. Accidental payments

Scammers may send you an accidental payment and ask you to return the money. However, the money you send back to the scammer will actually come from your own funds, while the scammers will dispute their payment with their bank after you’ve sent them the money. This will not only return the money the scammer originally sent you but also allow them to keep your money.

How to identify accidental payment scams

• Unexpected payment notification: If you receive a Cash App notification that someone transferred money to your account and the sender’s $cashtag is unfamiliar, it is most likely a scam.
• Request to return money: The scammer may ask you directly to return the money they “accidentally sent.” By returning the money to them, you will lose your own funds.

3. Rental deposit scams

Scammers on Cash App will impersonate landlords and advertise fake rental properties on other platforms, such as Facebook Marketplace. Their goal is to pressure interested individuals to send a deposit through Cash App to reserve the highly sought-after rental property. If you fall for the scam and send the deposit through Cash App, the scammer will take your money and remove the listing, leaving you with no rental property and financial losses.

How to identify rental deposit scams

• Sense of urgency: The scammer will usually pressure you to send the deposit quickly, emphasizing that many potential renters are looking at the same property.
• Fake property: The listing may appear on a legitimate social media account or website, but it will feature unavailable properties or ones with too-good-to-be-true prices.
• Inability to tour: If you ask about a rental property and request to see it before placing a deposit, the scammer will make excuses not to meet in person for you to view the property, including that they are unavailable for several weeks or that the property is too high in demand.

4. Phishing messages

Scammers may also impersonate Cash App itself by acting as customer support representatives through phishing scams. For example, you may receive an email from someone claiming to be with Cash App and asking for your login information, threatening that your account will be deactivated if you don’t provide it. By providing your username and password, you would actually be giving this sensitive information to a scammer who could then use it to hack into your account and potentially commit fraud.

How to identify phishing messages

• Requests for personal information: Fake representatives will claim to need your login credentials or financial information to access your account to protect you against scammers.
• Unnecessary support: Scammers will message you through Cash App directly or through email or text messages, pretending to be from Cash App customer support.
• Suspicious sender domain: Verified emails from Cash App will only come from addresses ending in @cash.app, @square.com and @squareup.com. When you receive an email claiming to be from Cash App, check the sender’s email address before doing anything else.

5. Fake pet deposit scams

Animal lovers are commonly targeted on Cash App through fake pet deposit scams. Scammers may play into your emotions through elaborate and sad stories about why they can no longer afford to keep their pets. Once the scammer tugs on your heartstrings, they will request a payment through Cash App for several expenses, such as transportation fees, rehoming fees or vaccinations. If you agree to purchase the pet, the scammer will request money immediately to cover the costs of transportation, pet insurance or veterinary care. They will insist on you using Cash App, and once you send their payment, they will disappear with the money and block your account.

How to identify fake pet deposit scams

• Unrealistic pet listing: Scammers will post on social media or websites like Craigslist with listings of purebred pets at discounted rates.
• Fake pet owner: The scammer will pretend to be the pet owner or breeder to appear more trustworthy. If you communicate with them frequently about the pet, they may ask more personal questions to ensure their pet goes to a loving home.

6. Charity scams

Scammers may take advantage of your generosity through charity scams. They may collect donations as a fake charity or impersonate a legitimate one. After you make your donation through Cash App, the scammer will disappear and the charitable work never happens.

How to identify charity scams

• Taking advantage of recent catastrophes: Scammers will exploit pandemics, natural disasters or social issues that will motivate people to donate to a worthy cause. They may contact your directly through email, social media or even Cash App to request donations.
• Illegitimate charities: Scammers might create a fake charity or pretend to be a real charity. To do this, scammers may make a fake website or social media account to appear credible and legitimate.

7. Loan scams

Scammers will falsely promise you a loan, but to receive the loan, you must pay additional fees through Cash App and provide them with personal information. If you send them your financial and personal details, scammers can commit fraud and steal your identity. They will then disappear, leaving you with less money and more vulnerable to identity theft.

How to identify loan scams

• Initial fee: A scammer claiming to be a lender will send you an unsolicited message that they can get you a loan no matter your financial situation – only if you pay an upfront fee. Scammers will take this fee and vanish.
• Requests for personal information: The scammer will ask you to send them the initial fee through Cash App and also share personal information, like your bank account number and Social Security number, as a prerequisite for approving the loan.

How to report Cash App scams

Once you realize you have interacted with a scammer on Cash App, take the necessary steps to report the scammer’s account on Cash App and to law enforcement. To report a scammer’s account through Cash App, go to the scammer’s profile, select Report and then hit Block to prevent them from contacting you in the future. For additional support in this process, contact Cash App’s support team through your app or by calling 1-800-969-1940.

If you have already sent a scammer money or personal information, you should contact your bank immediately to notify them of potential fraud. Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to assist the authorities in their investigation of the scam and help protect others from becoming victims of the same scam on Cash App.

How to avoid Cash App scams

Protect yourself from falling for Cash App scams by following these tips:

• Only send and accept payments from people you trust: Avoid using Cash App with strangers, as you never know if someone will actually send you payment for an item or service. You should only use Cash App to send and receive money from people you know to avoid potential scams, such as accidental payments.
• Do not share your sensitive information online: The more you overshare online, the more scammers can learn about you to trick you into sending them money through scams. Never share sensitive details, like your Cash App PIN or Social Security number, online since this can lead to scammers hacking into your Cash App or committing identity theft.
• Secure your Cash App account with a strong, unique password: Since your Cash App account contains sensitive information, you should protect it with a strong, unique password to prevent unauthorized access. Use a password manager like Keeper^® to generate and store your password in a secure vault.
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Add an extra layer of protection to your Cash App account by enabling 2FA. With 2FA enabled, a scammer cannot access your account even if they know your username and password. To enable 2FA on your Cash App Account, visit your profile and scroll down to Security & Privacy. At the bottom of that screen, you will have the option to Use Authenticator App, such as Google Authenticator or Keeper Password Manager. Keeper Password Manager can securely store 2FA codes in your digital vault, acting as an authenticator app.
• Turn on Cash App notifications: Enable Cash App notifications to receive alerts about suspicious activity, such as login attempts, unfamiliar payments or changes to your account settings. Receive push notifications, text messages or emails from Cash App by visiting your profile, tapping Notifications and toggling which methods you’d like to use.
• Activate Security Lock on Cash App: Set up a passcode, Touch ID or Face ID on your Cash App account to stop unauthorized transactions. Enable this feature by visiting your profile, going to Security & Privacy and toggling on Security Lock. Even if a scammer knows your Cash App login credentials, they cannot make payments if they need a PIN or your biometrics.

Stay protected against Cash App scams

Keep your Cash App account safe and protect yourself from the many Cash App scams. Make sure to only send and receive payments from people you know, not overshare sensitive information online, use a strong password for your account. A convenient way to update your Cash App password is by using a password manager like Keeper, which can create and store your login credentials for all your accounts in a safe place.

Start your free 30-day trial of Keeper Password Manager today to protect yourself from Cash App scams and other cyber threats.