Cash App Free Money: It Really Is Too Good To Be True

1. What is the Cash App Free Money Scam?
2. Red Flags of the Cash App Free Money Scam
3. How to Beat This Cash App Free Money Scam
4. Have You Fallen for the Cash App Free Money Scam?
5. Frequently Asked Questions

It's pretty easy to avoid falling victim to Cash App free money scams as long as you know what to look for. If you want to enter a Cash App sweepstakes, make sure it's the real deal and coming from an official Cash App email or social media profile. Many imposters create fake Cash App social profiles to trick you, so be sure to look for the "Verified" tick.

What is the Cash App Free Money Scam?

Scammers may come up with variations on the story, but the essential idea behind the Cash App free money scam is that there’s money out there waiting for you; you just have to pay a fee to have it transferred to your account.

Making these types of Cash App scams more difficult to spot is that the company does occasionally give away cash. Cash App holds periodic Twitter sweepstakes that feature cash prizes for winners. But many scammers have capitalized on this as a way to fool even the most vigilant would-be victims.

Regardless, the scammer will do everything in their power to convince you that you’re a beneficiary of some extra money—and it will take a bit of your own to get it. Here's how this scam works. 

You Enter a Cash App Cash Giveaway Sweepstakes on Twitter

Cash App holds occasional Cash App Friday sweepstakes, where the company will give away money to winners who follow them on Twitter and retweet certain messages.

Signing up is a great way to potentially win some cash, but scammers can also see who retweeted the message and use that information to their advantage.

OR:

You Receive a Message About Cash App Free Money or a Pending Payment

Sometimes scammers will message you directly, telling you about a sum of money that’s waiting for you.

They might tell you they work for Cash App, or they might pretend to represent some sort of charity or another type of company that’s giving away money.

Example Message from Scammer

Congratulations! You have won our sweepstakes prize of $500! We can transfer this money to your Cash App account, but first we need to verify your identity. 

Please transfer $20 from your Cash App account into ours. Once we receive this money we will transfer this back plus your winnings. 

You Send Money to Verify Your Identity

To make your Cash App claim on this mysterious money, you have to send the fee to a specific account. The story may change, but the scammer will fill you in on where to send the money and when.

Sometimes, scammers will ask for additional information, including your PIN or bank account details. This is a much more dangerous version of this scam and could lead to identity theft or the wipe-out of your bank account.

You’re Told Your Payment Is on the Way

You're told that once you pay the fee to release your money, you’ll receive the payment shortly. However, the cash never materializes. Instead, the “fee” goes directly into the scammer’s pocket.

And, most of the time, the person who contacted you will also disappear, either blocking you on the app or deleting their profile entirely.

Red Flags of the Cash App Free Money Scam

There are many different versions of this scam, especially on Twitter. Since that’s where the company makes its Cash App giveaways, it’s where many Cash App scams are born.

Typically, users will promise much more money—and to many more people—than Cash App would ever give away. Offering $900 to 900 people, for example, comes to more than $800,000 in giveaways. (Cash App is much more likely to top out around $75,000 worth of total giveaway money.)

It’s also important to pay attention to the details. Accounts of people claiming “This works!” could just as easily be faked and part of the scam, working to help convince you to part with your money.

If you receive a message about free money or winning a Cash App giveaway, always verify the account first. Genuine Cash App social media accounts will have the verified tick. 

In an alternative version of the Cash App free money scam, scammers ask you to send them money in the form of a gift card first so they can "trust you." Once you give them the gift card number, they disappear and use the card's balance almost immediately.

How to Beat This Cash App Free Money Scam

The simplest way to avoid this scam is to never send money to someone you don’t know.

If you receive a message from a stranger, you should never:

• Click on any links
• Call any phone numbers
• Send money to any accounts

While typically, the idea of money falling out of the clear blue sky and into your lap is enough to ring a few alarm bells, this scam leans on some realistic opportunities to make it all the more convincing.

Cash App does actually provide the chance to win money, and many scammers get away with this Cash App fraud by pretending to work for the company.

It’s important to remember that a real Cash App employee will never ask you:

• To make a payment of any kind
• To make a purchase
• To download any application for “remote access” to your account
• To complete a “test” transaction
• For your Cash App PIN
• For your sign-in code
• For your bank account information

If you do win the Cash App sweepstakes, the money will come directly from the verified Cash App account, complete with a blue checkmark.

Don't Trust Free Money

Even if you didn’t sign up for the sweepstakes, someone might message you about a potential Cash App claim. In general, it’s a good practice to ignore these messages, or, if you do engage, never to give away:

• Any personal information, including your address, name, or anything that could make it easy to guess your password
• Your password, PIN, or sign-in details
• Bank account or credit card information

These details could lead to losing not only your money but also identity theft, which is a much more serious situation.

Spot a Fake Cash App Account

Scammers use social media accounts that mimic the real Cash App accounts to trick you into thinking the free money is legit. When you receive a message from Cash App, it should come from:

• Instagram: @cashapp
• Twitter:
  • @CashSupport
  • @CashApp

Always look for the verified tick that these platforms use to help you identify the real accounts. 

Additional signs to look for in fake accounts include:

• The age of the account (fake accounts usually have only been active for a short time)
• The name of the account (there will usually be a string of numbers or random letters)
• How many tweets and retweets the account has
• How many posts the account has

Have You Fallen for the Cash App Free Money Scam?

It’s never pleasant to lose hard-earned cash. Unfortunately, with many peer-to-peer payment programs, including Cash App, it isn’t easy to get that money back once it’s gone.

If you’ve been scammed on Cash App, you should immediately report the incident to Cash App Customer Support online or on the app.

If you gave away anything other than money—especially personal or financial information—you should immediately:

• Freeze any bank accounts connected to your Cash App.
• Contact your bank or credit card company to inform them and report any fraudulent transactions.
• Report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission.

Add Security Features

You may also want to step up your account security in the future. Cash App allows users to add certain features, including:

• Requiring PINs for transactions
• Requiring fingerprints to complete transactions
• Initiating two-factor authentication (2FA)
• Setting up email or text notifications for account activity or suspicious account activity

When it comes to avoiding these types of Cash App scams, the best offense is a good defense.