She thought she was helping a basketball team — then $2,500 vanished from her Venmo

🚨A Montclair woman lost $2,500 after handing her phone to a man seeking a donation

🚨Police say the suspect grabbed her phone during a Venmo transaction

🚨The scam resembles recent Venmo and Zelle thefts reported in Hoboken

MONTCLAIR — A woman lost $2,500 through her Venmo account after making what she thought was a donation to a basketball team with her cell phone.

She said that on July 2, she was approached in a parking lot by a man who appeared to be 19 or 20 years old, asking for a donation to his basketball team, according to RLS Metro Breaking News and News 12.

After she opened her Venmo account to donate, the man grabbed her phone and held onto it for a minute before returning it and running off. The woman checked her account and found that $2,500 had been transferred to another account, police said.

The man was described as Black, wearing black shorts and a black shirt, and with twists or locks in his hair.

Police asked anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 973-744-1234.

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Hoboken warns of a similar scam

The incident appears to be similar to a scam that has been happening around Hoboken Station to both Venmo and Zelle users. Public Safety Director Ken Ferrante said that commuters have been asked by strangers to borrow their phone, who then find funds missing from their account.

"If someone approaches you asking for a donation and they need to get that donation by using your phone, that's a major red flag," Ferrante said. "Legitimate charities will never ask for donations in this form."

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