07/06/2025
Today, I encountered a situation that I would like to share. I received a message from someone who appeared to be a friendly older woman. However, it turned out to be a scam. She indicated that she wanted to buy an oyster shell and proposed using Venmo with her business account for the payment. Supposedly, due to my lack of a Venmo business account, the transfer was placed on hold. I called the phone number provided in the email, which was 407-797-6278. Unexpectedly, it was not a toll-free number. The person who answered claimed to represent Venmo. As I didn't have a business account, and the customer was sending payment from her business account, I was told that I needed to establish a business account. I declined, stating that I had no intention of doing so. The individual emphasized that the customer would be paying me $300 in addition to the item's purchase price. I stood firm, recognizing the scam. I recommend exercising caution when receiving payments from unfamiliar individuals, as they can rapidly gain access to your system and compromise your personal information.
