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People promoting Cash App money generators claim to be able to get you cash for free — and not just a little. They often say you can get hundreds of dollars, sometimes repeatedly.
If that sounds too good to be true, it’s because it is. With over 25 million users and a meager 3.7% recovery rate for lost money, Cash App appeals to scammers of all kinds, from cash flippers to phishers.
Alleged Cash App generators are one of the tools scammers use to make money off of you.The scheme is to use the promise of big money to trick you into downloading apps or doing surveys. You just have to keep the apps open long enough, or turn in enough surveys.
The reality is that Cash App money generators are designed to get you to carry out these tasks so the creator can get paid through an affiliate link.
The bttom line?
Cash App generators generate money for one person: the scammer.
Table of Contents
How the Cash App Money Generator Scam Works
Key Facts:
- Cash App money generators will not give you free money.
- If they did work, using them would be illegal.
- They’re funnels to affiliate links that make scammers money.
You’ll find scammers pitching Cash App money generators on nearly every social media platform, but the scam is most prominent on YouTube. Here’s how the scam works on that platform.
You go to YouTube and search for something like “free money Cash App” or “Cash App hack.” YouTube then returns videos promising to get you free money in minutes with a Cash App generator.
Most of these videos follow the same formula. Over scenes of a person using what appears to be Cash App, a voice walks you through getting the free cash, directing you to a website where you’ll need to enter your cashtag. Sometimes, the page will also ask for the amount of money you want.
You go to the website and put in your information. Usually, the website says it’s processing your request for a few seconds before telling you it needs to verify that you’re human. All you have to do to be verified is download and use an app or two or fill out surveys.
Fortunately, that’s where the scam ends; you download and use the apps, or fill out the surveys, and the scammer makes a small amount of money. You, on the other hand, never make a dime.
Examples of Cash App Generator Scams
While the Cash App generator scam is most common on social media platforms, it can also be found in the Chrome Web Store. The following example uses both YouTube and the Chrome Web Store to lure people into the trap.
The scammer put together a lengthy YouTube video tutorial for using the money generator. From the start, you can see the website they’re directing you to at the bottom of the screen.
In the Chrome Web Store, the video accompanies text that promises the generator is safe, secure and connected to a reputable bank. As with many online scams, the English is poor and search phrases that might lead people to the extension page are shoehorned into the text.
If you go to the link in the video on your mobile device, you’ll see a page with the Cash App logo prominently displayed at the top, a text box that asks for your cashtag, and a big “Earn” button.
Note that we’re choosing not to share the link itself, because it could help the video get more views and perform better in the YouTube algorithm (thus scamming more people.
Once you’ve entered your cashtag, you’ll be taken to a screen with what are allegedly high-dollar offers from companies to download their apps or fill out surveys.
In the video, the speaker downloads two apps to illustrate, registering for a service and playing a game. Next, they show something that looks sort of like their Cash App funds increasing incrementally from $0 to $150 as proof that it worked. The video ends with a call to action. “Go and get your free money while you still can,” the scammer says.
Other Types of Cash App Scams
The Cash App money generator isn’t the only game in town. Scammers use all kinds of techniques to get something from you. Here are a few.
- Posing as Cash App customer service. A common tactic scammers use on Cash App is to pose as customer support. They contact you out of the blue and tell you there’s an issue with your account balance, or that there’s a security problem. They may even set up a fake phone number and wait for you to call them with a real problem. Real issue or not, they’ll say they need you to give them your login credentials or download an app to fix it.
- Phony security alerts. This scam takes advantage of the many data breaches you hear about in the news. You’ll get an email purporting to be from Cash App about a data breach, and it’ll ask you to follow a link to change your account credentials. Doing so, however, will give the scammer the information they need to access your account and steal your money.
- Cash flipping. If someone tells you they’ll give you a large amount of money if you give them a small amount, they’re most likely cash flipping. Instead of paying up when you give them your part, they disappear with your cash.
- Deposits from strangers. If you get a deposit from a stranger who claims it was an accident, it’s probably a scam. Here, the scammer is either trying to get you to send back the money, which was most likely funded with stolen credit card numbers, or engage with you as part of a longer con.
- Giveaways. Some bad apples have learned to take advantage of Cash App’s legitimate cash, crypto and stocks giveaways. When Cash App does a giveaway on social media, people enter by responding to its account with their cashtag. These scammers then contact respondents and tell them they won, but they need to turn over their account information to receive the gift.
- Selling something expensive or rare. In this scheme, the scammer pretends to be selling something hard to find, expensive or even nonexistent. If they can convince you to buy the item, they know they’ll most likely be able to hold on to the money because of Cash App’s poor record of recovering lost funds.
- Debit cards. If you get an unsolicited debit card from Cash App, you’re being scammed and your personal information has been compromised. Someone used your information to open an account in your name. The debit card will come with instructions for setting it up. The thief owns the account, though, so when you fund it, you’ll really just be handing over your money.
How to Report Scams to Cash App
Reporting scams to Cash App is best done through the app, though you can also call the company’s support team at 1-800-969-1940.
To report a scam account in the app, select the avatar for the account you believe to be a scammer. At the bottom of the profile, you’ll find options to report or block the account. Tap the report option.
To report a scam payment, open Cash App and go to your profile. You’ll find the icon for it at the top right corner of the screen. Select support, then report a payment issue. Find the suspect payment and tap it. Cash App will then give you a series of prompts to follow to finish reporting the scam payment.
Safe and Legit Ways to Get Free Cash App Money
These ways to get free money on Cash App are safe and legitimate. They include Boosts on the Cash App debit card, promotional offers, referral bonuses and more.
- If you use the Cash App Visa debit card, you can access a feature called Boosts. It gives you cash-back bonuses generally ranging from 5-20%. These bonuses are applied when you make specific purchases at partnered retailers. Where you can get Boosts changes often, and you can only have one associated with your card at a time.
- Cash App allows you to buy, sell and hold Bitcoin, so you can take advantage of Bitcoin bonus offers. These offers usually require a minimum deposit or trades valuing a certain amount. It’ll take some time to get the Bitcoin you receive to Cash App, but once it’s there, you can sell it or hold onto it as an investment.
- Transferring money earned through cash-back shopping portals is another method to earn money using Cash App. You can do so by making purchases using Cash App’s routing and checking numbers in portals like Rakuten.
- You can get people to sign up for Cash App using your referral code, which will net $5 per person if they’ve connected a bank account and used the app to send someone at least $5 within 14 days. Learn more about how the program works on our Cash App referral code page.
- Cash App gives away money during its Cash App Fridays promotions as well as at other times, so it’s worth following the company’s social media accounts.
- It’s possible to get money from other people on Cash App Fridays. Post some information about why you’re asking for money and someone might help.
Cash App Money Generators: Facts and Final Verdict
A quarter of Americans have used Cash App, making it an attractive place for scammers to ply their trade. They do so in many ways, from relatively simple methods like the Cash App money generator to long-term plays like catfishing.
When it comes to the Cash App money generator scam, there are three things to remember.
- There’s no such thing as a Cash App money generator.
- If there was, it would be illegal.
- It’s designed so that someone else makes money, not you.
Cleveland Dietz
Cleveland Dietz is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance. He learned the power of good money management while digging himself out of credit card and student loan debt. Since then, he has experimented with side hustles and investing strategies. Follow him on Twitter @dietziic.
