INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis woman wants to warn others after she and her family fell victim to a scam involving the Cash App.
They weren't the first people to fall victim to the Cash App customer support scam, but they hope they will be the last.
It all started when a card arrived in the mail. The family thought it was the Cash App debit card and wanted to activate it right away.
"We have Cash App and we've heard of the Cash App credit card and we know that instead of having to transfer it to your bank, you can just use your card and it would be easier," Jacqueline Sanders said.
It was the convenience that pulled Sanders in, but using Google to find the customer service number for Cash App was the wrong move. The person on the other end of the phone had something else in mind.
"He's like, OK, I need you guys to go into your app store and download this app called AnyDesk," Sanders said. "From there, he had full control of our phones."
The scammer also took over the family's bank accounts, emptied them and sent the funds to Bitcoin.
"You can see everything moving over," Sanders said. "Once I realized he just took all of our money, it was like, no, this is not right. There's no reason for him to access our money."
There are several scammers posing at Cash App online looking to swindle customers. A simple Google search won't weed out the fakes.
The actual Cash App number has an automated support line and if you call it, you won't reach a live person. Instead, you will get a message that tells you to visit the app to contact customer service.
The same message even warns callers that people will impersonate Cash App employees.
The family's bank provided them with a provisional credit card for the money while Cash App looks into the cash, but they are still trying to get their money back.
How can people protect their money?
It is important to remember to never talk to anyone on the phone claiming to be with Cash App. Always check it out if anyone claiming to be with Cash App contacts you.
According to Cash App, if a person sends money to someone else on Cash App who is not on their friends list, they now make sure the person is sure before allowing the transaction.
Nothing is foolproof when dealing with the apps, but there are things you can do to try to avoid becoming a victim.
