Consumer complaint received 2025-04-30 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Unauthorized transactions or other transaction problem — 
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: ND

Complaint narrative:
VENMO  XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX AM Computer accessed from XXXX, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX AM Email from XXXX reporting unusual sign in to my account XX/XX/XXXX XXXX AM Email from XXXX which shows hacker request and approval to change my password XX/XX/XXXX XXXX AM Computer hacked in from XXXX, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX XXXX AM XXXX Pin Changed and Fraudulent Charge to XXXX  From my XXXX Account XX/XX/XXXX Approximately XXXX AM I called my XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX And we were talking about the XXXX and email hack, and while I was talking to XXXX I was sending her emails that I was receiving from my XXXX account and asking her if possibly they were from the hackers because I couldnt access a lot of my email. I was also getting phone calls and kept trying to disconnect from them because I didnt know where they were coming from. I also opened some of the emails and sent them to her. While we were talking, we starting getting messages about money being transferred from my Venmo  to her Venmo  and her money in her Venmo  was taken. We decided she was going to call Venmo  immediately and I was going to call the bank. 


XX/XX/XXXX XXXX AM Transaction from my Venmo account to XXXX XXXX Venmo Account {$2400.00} XX/XX/XXXX XXXX AM Transaction from my Venmo Account to XXXX XXXX Venmo Account {$2300.00} XX/XX/XXXX XXXX AM Transaction from my Venmo account to XXXX XXXX Venmo Account {$1900.00} XX/XX/XXXX XXXX AM Transaction from my Venmo account to XXXX XXXX Venmo Account {$1700.00} XX/XX/XXXX XXXX Called Venmo and reported the fraudulent transactions on her account and on my account. She received an email at XXXX AM, which assigned her a case number XXXX XXXX This email verifies she notified Venmo immediately and told them to not approve these transactions. I called my bank and told them to not process any Venmo payments and asked them to close my accounts. The bank stated they would do this ; however, they only closed my savings account and kept my checking account open. I called the bank immediately the next day and they closed my checking account. All XXXX transactions were sent back to my Venmo account. One of the XXXX transactions was sent to XXXX XXXX account. 
XX/XX/XXXX I called Venmo to follow up on the XXXX transactions and was told that my dispute for all of the transactions was filed and that it would be escalated. I then received an email a couple hours later ( copy attached ) and stated that there was some unusual activity which may be in violation of my user agreement and that my account was suspended. The bank had sent the transactions back to Venmo, and Venmo showed that I owed them {$6700.00} and Venmo charged XXXX XXXX {$1700.00}. ( Copies of Venmo attached ) I called Venmo again because I could not close my account due to a XXXX XXXX XXXX and a Movie Theater that were attached to my account. The person I talked to was able to remove them, and I asked my account to be closed. I asked how Venmo could send money that I did not have in my account and was told that they do that as a favor so that the person I was paying did not have to wait for their money. I explained to the person that I read that money would NOT be transferred to anyone unless that money was in my account. I have detailed conversations in the attached emails. 
XX/XX/XXXX I called Venmo again and asked about the disputes, and if they had been escalated. I went through each detail of what happened and was again reassured that my disputes were on file and that they had been escalated. 
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX received an email that they did not approve her dispute because I sent her the money and it was in her account. The hackers had taken money from her and Venmo still would not approve her dispute and stated she received the money I sent. I was told that it would probably be XXXX weeks until I heard about my disputes because it was the holidays. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX Emails included-Last email from Venmo stated they would not investigate where the money from our accounts went unless I paid them in full for the debts I owed-even though they have access to see who pulled the money immediately from our accounts. This seems to be blackmail to me -- -they know we were hacked, and they have a way to know who got the money from our accounts-yet they most likely know they wont get the money from whoever hacked our accounts so they want me to pay it. 

Venmo policies are inconsistent and I would never have used the Venmo account if I knew they wouldnt immediately follow up on hacks and that they would send money that wasnt in my account.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief