CNN —Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, Zelle and other payment apps may be convenient ways to send cash with a few taps of your smartphone, but they’re a breeding grounds for theft, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg tells CNN.
Bragg says he’s seen so many instances of criminals using payment apps as a crime of opportunity.
The passenger would ask to put in a new address into the Lyft driver’s phone and once inside, they would transfer the in-app earnings to their own bank accounts using Cash App, the records show.
Once in custody, investigators found that the pair has sent themselves $1,749 using Cash App, the records show.
Bragg said his team has been trying to get the word out in recent years and have heard from victims who never came forward during outreach campaigns about cash app thefts.
Persons:
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Organizations:
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Locations:
Manhattan, New York, Zelle, Los Angeles, Boston