Consumer complaint received 2022-04-09
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: CO
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Confusing or missing disclosures

Complaint:
Venmo Fraudulent Business Practices Between XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/2022 They sent this email, which I did not see right away. 

An addition was recently made to your remembered devices on Venmo. 

XXXX via XXXX on ( Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX ) If this was you, no further action is needed. 

If this wasnt you or you believe an unauthorized person has accessed your account, please immediately reset your password. Then, contact Support here so we can confirm your account is secure. 

To reset your password tap Forgot your password? on the sign-in screen in the mobile app or visit www.venmo.com from a computer. 

Thanks, Team Venmo XX/XX/2022 My daughter tried to send me some money but couldn't because my account was blocked. 

I tried to log in but it said my account was suspended. 

XX/XX/2022 I called and the rep said it appears someone was trying to add a bank account to my Venmo. I told him that it wasn't me. He said that he couldn't help me and that I needed to answer the email I received. 

I followed the instructions in the email and changed my password. When I tried to log in after that, I received a notice that my account was suspended. 

I sent an email asking for my account to be restored and received the following two messages : Venmo Help You have a new message from Venmo regarding request # XXXX. To respond, simply reply to this email. 

Hi ( my name ), XXXX from Venmo Support here. Thank you for reaching out to us. I'm happy to help you out!

I hope you are doing well.

Weve had a chance to review your account and it appears your case requires additional attention from another team. I will forward your case and they will follow up with you here, via email in 4-5 business days.

In order to make this a smooth process, please respond to this email chain with any additional questions or concerns that you may have. Thank you for understanding! 

Thanks again and have a great day! 
Best, XXXX A | Venmo Support : XXXX : http : XXXXvenmo.com Venmo Help You have a new message from Venmo regarding request # XXXX. To respond, simply reply to this email. 

Hello ( my name ), Thank you for reaching out. 

While we encourage the use of Venmo, we must ensure all users abide by our User Agreement. After reviewing your inquiries and account activity, we have found that your actions and activity have been in violation of this agreement. 

As a result, your account has been permanently deactivated and we regret to inform you that we can no longer offer you the Venmo service. We do not make these decisions lightly, and when we do, it is to help improve the safety of the Venmo community. 

The funds in your account will be held for up to 180 days for loss prevention purposes. We will contact you at the email address on file with your Venmo account should these funds be available for transfer in the future. 

If you have questions regarding this decision, please note that we do not divulge our decision-making criteria in order to protect the systems that monitor activity on Venmo. 

Best, Account Specialist THIS EMAIL IS A SERVICE FROM VENMO.

So, they suspended my account and are keeping my money ( only {$140.00} ) but they won't tell me why because " we do not divulge our decision-making criteria in order to protect the systems that monitor activity on Venmo. '' Also, I didn't violate their policies. There is no explanation, no appeal process, no one to talk to, and they are keeping my money. How is that legal?

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief