The scheme works like this. A man approaches strangers at Lake Merritt in Oakland and asks them to take his picture. He then introduces himself as a rapper — says he’s performing that evening at the Fox Theater. He asks to borrow the victim’s phone to play his music on Spotify. While the owner listens to his chatter, the scammer opens Venmo and transfers money to an accomplice’s account. In some cases, he deleted the Venmo app from the phone so the victim wouldn’t notice the transfer right away.
According to KTVU, citing court documents, at least 15 people have been victimized over the past seven months. Total losses amount to no less than $42,000. One victim lost $3,000 in a single encounter.
The same scheme — in Albany
A similar incident occurred in September 2025 at the waterfront in Albany. Warnings about this type of scam appeared on Reddit three years ago. The scheme isn’t new — but it’s still working.
Investigation and threats
The Oakland Police Department and Albany Police Department are both investigating. Both agencies have requested data from Venmo. The company confirmed to KTVU that it has reimbursed some of the fraudulent transfers.
In one case, money was accidentally sent to the wrong recipient. The victim tried to contact that person — and received a threatening message in response. The suspect has not been identified or arrested.
How to protect yourself
Do not hand an unlocked phone to a stranger — not to take a photo, not to play music, not for any other reason. If someone asks to “search for a name on Spotify,” you can do that yourself. Venmo recommends that anyone who suspects fraud contact its support team through the app or website.