GERMANTOWN, Tenn. (WREG) — An apparent Cash App scam leaves a Germantown woman out $300, and there’s a chance more people were also taken for much more.
The victim, who asked us not to use her name, described what happened Saturday while she was inside the Germantown Kroger on Farmington.
“Before I was walking out, a young boy, he looked about 12 or 13, had a box of candy, and asked him how to support his football team,” she said. “And they were trying to raise money. And I didn’t have any cash on me. And I kind of felt bad so I told him, I didn’t have cash and he asked if I would support his YouTube football channel.”
She didn’t think twice when the teen said he could pull up his YouTube channel on her phone.
“So, I handed him my phone to type in his username. Not my brightest decision,” the woman said.
It wasn’t until she left the store that she realized something was wrong.
“Right when I walked in the door, I got a text because Cash App sends your phone a text when you send a payment, and it said payment received. And at first, my brain didn’t click and I was like, ‘I didn’t send anyone money’ and it was about a minute after the interaction,” she said. “In about two minutes after the interaction. I ran back inside and looked for him in Kroger but he was gone.”
She believes while holding her phone the teen went to her Cash App and sent himself $300.
“I feel like not very smart and just gave someone I don’t know my phone. But him being so young and I just handed in my phone. I was like ‘alright, I’ll support you.’ Lesson learned for sure,” she said.
The woman said she went back inside and immediately reported it to Kroger officials, who called police. We asked police about the scam and are waiting to hear back, but the woman told us police told her she wasn’t the only victim.
“They took 300 from me and someone else. The police said they got $1,800 from another person,” she said.
In a statement, Kroger said, “The young men involved were all allegedly soliciting without Kroger knowledge or approval. Once the customer alerted management, the Germantown Police were contacted and responded. We are working to pull camera footage of the incident.”
Kroger also said soliciting of this type is not allowed in their stores.
Meanwhile, this victim feels embarrassed after trusting the teen with her phone but also dismay over how trying to do something good can turn so bad.
“I hate that I can’t trust, you know, even a young kid. It’s hard. It’s sad,” she said.
The victim said she is going to turn on the security feature in her Cash App.