Jago Times "English Edition" Best Online Newspaper
A retired teacher from North Texas reported that her missing money has been returned after she discovered that nearly $10,000 had disappeared from her retirement fund. Laurie Trees, who had been teaching for over a decade, recently decided to withdraw the entire amount of $9,785.95 to catch up on bills and treat her granddaughter to a Spring Break trip to Galveston. She had the money deposited directly into her Cash App account, which she used as her primary banking account.
Although Trees had never encountered any issues with Cash App before, the large sum of money she deposited vanished almost immediately after appearing in her account on March 1. She noticed three fraudulent charges totaling $9,785.95, including two payments to a woman for $2,200 and $7,500, as well as an $85 payment to another user. Despite feeling shocked and bewildered by the sudden loss, Trees filed a police report with the Midlothian Police Department, which confirmed an active investigation into the matter.
In addition to the financial strain caused by the disappearance of her retirement funds, Trees faced further frustration when Cash App refused to refund the two large payments. However, following outreach from NBC 5’s Maria Guerrero and communication with Cash App corporate representatives, Trees received a refund of $9,700. While relieved to have her money returned, Trees acknowledged that she had made mistakes along the way, including not activating the available security measures on the app to protect her funds.
In response to Trees’ situation, a spokesperson for Cash App highlighted several safeguards available to all users, including the Security Lock feature, which requires a Face ID, Touch ID, or Cash App PIN code for fund transfers and app access. Customers can also block or report other users and set incoming payment requests to come from phone contacts only. Cash App encourages users with account inquiries to contact Cash App Support through the app, website, or phone.