Consumer complaint received 2025-09-18 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Trouble accessing funds in your mobile or digital wallet — 
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
Summary of the problem On XX/XX/year>, Venmo ( XXXX, XXXX ) suspended my account and blocked access to my funds based on a XXXX filing that does not pertain to me. Venmo refused to provide the filing number and directed me to resolve the matter by contacting a third-party lender ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX whom I have no relationship. 

What happened : On XX/XX/year>, my Venmo account was suddenly suspended, and I was unable to access my funds. 

Venmo informed me the issue was related to a XXXX filing tied to a person who shares my first and last name but has a different middle name, owns a company I am not affiliated with, and resides in a different state. ( I do not have a middle name. ) Venmo refused to provide the XXXX filing number, telling me I had to contact the filer ( XXXX XXXX ) to obtain it. 

To get the filing number from XXXX XXXX, I was asked to provide the last four digits of my Social Security number, which I believe is an unnecessary invasion of privacy given that I am not the debtor named in their filing.

After I obtained the UCC filing and sent it to Venmo, clearly showing multiple mismatches ( middle name, business affiliation, and state of residence ), Venmo continued to insist that my only path to resolution was to work directly with XXXX XXXX. 

When I contacted XXXX XXXX, they stated the issue arose from Venmo misidentifying my account. They said they would try to help, but then requested my mailing address and a copy of my government ID, which I do not feel comfortable providing to an unrelated lender. 

I sent multiple correspondences to Venmo, attaching the XXXX documentation and explaining the misidentification. My inquiries to XXXX XXXX team have gone unanswered, and my funds remained inaccessible for an extended period. 

Why this is a problem : XXXX. Venmo appears to have frozen my account without providing the underlying documentation or a clear, secure process to dispute a third-party error. 

XXXX. I was forced to share sensitive personal information ( last XXXX SSN digits ) with a lender I have no relationship with just to learn the filing number. 

XXXX. Venmo has outsourced resolution to a third party instead of verifying identity and correcting the error internally, leaving me without timely access to my funds. 

XXXX. Consumer harm XXXX. Loss of access to funds and inability to use my account for payments. 

XXXX. Time burden, stress, and privacy intrusion. 

XXXX. Risk from sharing personal information with an unrelated lender. 


Attachments available : XXXX. Copies of emails/communications with Venmo. 

XXXX. The XXXX filing showing the middle-name mismatch, unrelated business, and different state. 

XXXX. Emails with XXXX XXXX requesting my SSN digits, mailing address, and ID. 

Company complained about : Venmo ( PayPal, Inc. ). 
Other company involved ( mentioned for context ) : XXXX XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief