Tell HN: Be mindful what you put in your Venmo descriptions
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[...]
On October 31, 2022, you sent a payment for the amount of $48.59 for, "Cuban date." We're trying to understand:
* your reference to "Cuban."
* purpose of this payment, including a complete and detailed explanation of what you intended to pay for and the establishment/location if applicable.
We thank you for your attention to this matter and apologize for any inconvenience. Your payment has been held until the issue is resolved, so we're unable to cancel it. This hold cannot be removed until Venmo receives the requested information that will enable us to ensure our compliance with our regulatory obligations.
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This is a real, private transaction I sent my girlfriend to split a dinner we had last week. We went to a Cuban restaurant in San Francisco.
I have been a Venmo user for at least 6 years. I have done 100s of transactions, including dozens with my girlfriend. I am annoyed that I now have to go through an opaque, bureaucratic process to get my transaction unlocked. If I knew my Venmo transaction descriptions could trigger fraud checks I would have simply said "date night". This experience has left a bad taste in my mouth, and I will be considering alternatives. At the minimum, I will be leaving my Venmo descriptions blank or vague!