Thanks to technology, it’s never been easier to pay for things. The times of reaching into your wallet or purse for cash or pulling out your checkbook are less frequent. Using your smartphone or using an app to make payments is now the norm.
The St. Louis Consumer Fraud Task Force (CFTF) wants you to remember that there are scammers looking to take advantage of you when you use digital payment options.
These scams can take on many looks. During the holiday season, consumers may see an attractive price on a sought-after item while shopping online. If the seller only takes digital payments, you’ll need to research the seller to make sure it is legitimate.
When you pay with digital forms of payment, you don’t have the same protections as when payments are made with a credit card. Paying digitally is like handing over cash to that vendor; you need to make sure you know and trust the person receiving money on the other end.
Scammers love to act like government or law enforcement agencies as well. You may receive a phone call or text message pressuring you to pay them. Know that no government or law enforcement agency is going to call you demanding payment.
A Quincy, Ill., woman reported to the Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) Scam Tracker in September 2025 that she attempted to buy some weight loss medicine she saw advertised on Facebook. She had to pay $330 through a digital payment platform. She reported that she never received her items and could not get a refund.
The Task Force recommends these avenues to avoid digital payment scams:
KNOW HOW THE APPS WORK
Digital payment apps allow users to send money to each other using a mobile app, usually through a smartphone. Once you download an app, you connect it to a bank account to provide the funds you will send to other users. Sending and receiving money is easy. Users can have their funds within a few seconds to a few business days to complete the transaction.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Unlike traditional banking systems, most apps won’t cover your funds in case of fraud. If you send money to a scammer and later realize your error, it’s unlikely you’ll have any success getting the company to refund the money. The best way to protect yourself from scammers is to think carefully about who you send money to using this payment method.
USE THE APPS WISELY
Make sure to enable two-factor authentication, pins and biometric verifications to use the apps. Some digital wallet apps take a few days to process a transaction. Scammers take advantage of that system to “send funds” they know will never go through. Avoid businesses or sellers who only allow you to pay through digital payment. Use these apps to only transfer funds to people you know and trust.
ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK
Make sure you double- check the recipient’s information to make sure you are sending it to the right account. If you get an unexpected request for money from someone you know, speak with them to make sure the request is really from them and not someone who has gained access to their account.
REPORT THE BAD ACTORS
If you believe you have been victimized in a digital payment scam, report it to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker. You will also want to report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
ABOUT THE CONSUMER FRAUD TASK FORCE
The Consumer Fraud Task Force, formed in October 2002, is a coalition of local, state and federal government agencies and nonprofit business and consumer groups in Missouri and Illinois that work together to protect consumer and donor rights and guard against fraud. The group has issued news alerts about predatory payday loan offers, tax scams, timeshare fraud, credit repair and foreclosure scams, bogus sweepstakes, internet sweetheart scams, phony grant scams, home remodeling, elder fraud, payment scams and a variety of other issues.
For information, or to report a scam, contact members of the Task Force:
Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Missouri and Southern Illinois – (888) 996-3887; www. BBB.org
Federal Trade Commission – (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357); www.ftc.gov
Federal Bureau of Investigations – (314) 589-2500 Illinois Attorney General – (800) 243-0618; www. illinoisattorneygeneral.gov Illinois
Secretary of State - Securities Department - 800-628-7937 Missouri
Attorney General – (800) 392-8222; www.ago.mo.gov St. Louis
Metropolitan Police Department – (314) 231-1212; www.slmpd.org
U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Missouri – (314) 539-2200; www.usdoj.gov/ usao/moe
U.S. Postal Inspection Service – (877) 876-2455; postalinspectors.uspis.gov
U.S. Secret Service – (314) 539-2238; www.secretservice. gov
