A smooth-talking scammer has reportedly been working the paths around Lake Merritt, asking to borrow people's phones, then quietly opening Venmo and sending himself money. By the time victims realize what happened, they say their accounts are lighter by thousands of dollars and the transfers have already gone through.
Victims report that the money can hit the scammer's account within minutes and that he sometimes deletes or signs out of the Venmo app to cut off notifications. Oakland and Albany residents have been trading warnings as police try to catch up.
As reported Wednesday by KTVU, detectives are investigating multiple cases in which an unidentified man used victims' unlocked phones to move "thousands" of dollars via Venmo. The station says investigators from Oakland and nearby Albany are working together to identify the suspect and that victims have filed formal reports.
On a local thread on Reddit, multiple firsthand accounts line up with what KTVU describes. Posters say the man approaches people near the lake, offers to take a photo or swap social media handles, then briefly handles the unlocked phone. In that short window, he allegedly punches in a large Venmo payment to himself. Several users in the thread reported losing between $2,000 and $3,000 and said they filed police reports and disputes with Venmo.
How the scam typically unfolds
Cybersecurity coverage describes this as a classic social-engineering trick that leans on trust and distraction. According to McAfee, scammers will work to keep victims talking while they quietly open payment apps and move money, then count on the near-instant speed of peer-to-peer transfers to make recovery a long shot.
Lock your app and limit exposure
Security guides recommend putting an extra lock on Venmo rather than relying only on your phone's main screen lock. That can mean turning on an app-level PIN or enabling Face/Touch ID for Venmo, switching your transaction privacy settings to private, and simply refusing to hand your unlocked phone to strangers, even for a quick photo. Resources like NordPass note that these small steps can add enough friction to block fast, unauthorized transfers even if someone briefly gets their hands on your device.
Steps to take if you were targeted
If you were hit, you are urged to file a police report and get a case number. The City of Oakland explains how to report a crime online or by calling the non-emergency line. Victims can call (510) 777-3333 or use the online form to request a case number for their bank and Venmo disputes. Security experts also advise reporting the fraud to Venmo and your bank right away to try to freeze accounts and preserve evidence; Aura outlines steps for contacting the platform.
Oakland and Albany investigators are seeking additional victims and witnesses as they work to map out the suspect's pattern. Anyone with information is asked to contact police with details about the encounter and the suspect's appearance. As KTVU reports, locals are also telling one another to lock down their Venmo settings and to keep a firm grip on their unlocked phones around the lake.
