Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETHigh-profile officials, including national security adviser Mike Waltz, have inadvertently exposed their networks through public Venmo accounts, according to WIRED. This serves as an important reminder for all Venmo users to review their privacy settings.Also: Did you get paid through Venmo, CashApp, or PayPal in 2024? The IRS will knowIf you haven’t checked your Venmo settings, your entire friends list and transaction history may be visible to the public. While it might seem harmless if someone sees that you sent a friend $10 for a shared pizza last month, your account could be revealing far more sensitive information than you realize. What people can see on Venmo By default, Venmo makes every payment and description public. The amount is hidden, but just by browsing through a few random friends’ accounts, I was able to see the location of their kids’ sports leagues, the name of a wedding venue for an upcoming ceremony, the name of a child’s classmate at elementary school, and even restaurants they frequent.Also: This new tool lets you see how much of your data is exposed online – and it’s freeJust as concerning is that your friends list is also public by default. Looking at my friends’ contact lists, it wasn’t hard to find their family members, coworkers, children’s teachers, daycare workers, and more. This information could be exploited by anyone — online trolls, stalkers, ex-spouses, law enforcement (in 2019, federal prosecutors used Venmo transactions as evidence in the case against a man involved in rapper Mac Miller’s death), or criminals.A few years ago, BuzzFeed was able to find former President Joe Biden’s Venmo account. The issue wasn’t that the public could see he sent money to his grandchildren for their birthdays, but that it exposed an entire web of contacts, including family members and senior White House officials (and their networks).Also: The best data removal services: Delete yourself from the internetNow, WIRED has reported that the US’s national security adviser, along with other senior officials, left their Venmo accounts public, exposing their extensive network of personal and professional connections. Waltz’s account, for instance, displayed a list of 328 people, including figures like White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and several prominent media figures. This kind of exposure could be exploited by foreign intelligence services, posing a potential national security risk.While researching for this article, I found several public profiles for local politicians, athletes from pro sports teams in my area, heads of local law enforcement organizations, local TV reporters, and more. By looking at each of their profiles, I got a clear picture of the people they interact with and the places they visit. More
