A new Venmo scam targets users selling expensive camera gear
The staggered payouts were the first clue something was wrong.
Rasa was selling his camera — a Blackmagic URSA Mini 4.6K, priced down to $1,500 — and had found a buyer on Facebook Marketplace. The buyer said his name was Andy Mai, and wanted to pay with Venmo. Rasa, who asked not to reveal his last name, thought the payment method was strange, but not a deal-breaker.
When the money finally came in, however, it came in $80 or $90 installments. Mai sent 52 total transactions, each under $100. Rasa wasn’t sure how to respond — but weird or not, the money was in his account. So when the buyer showed up, as agreed, outside his apartment in East Hollywood, he couldn’t think of a good reason to stop the deal. He handed over the camera and set…
