The NCAA and Venmo created a partnership to reduce abuse and harassment directed at college athletes, including unwanted payment requests and solicitations for inside information. The program includes a dedicated reporting hotline, education on account security, and increased monitoring of transactions and social media activity. Venmo's security team will track social media trends and in-game events that trigger surges in interactions. NCAA research indicates nearly 20% of online abuse toward college basketball and football players is linked to sports betting, and much of the harassment on Venmo involves requests for payment from losing bettors.
The NCAA and online payment service Venmo announced a partnership Tuesday aiming to combat abuse and harassment of college athletes, some of whom have reported receiving unwanted requests for money from losing bettors and solicitation for inside information. The NCAA-Venmo partnership features a dedicated hotline for athletes to report abuse and harassment, education on account security, and increased monitoring. Venmo's security team will monitor social media trends and events during games, such as last-second missed field goals, that have triggered surges in unwanted interactions.
David Szuchman, senior vice president of Venmo's parent company PayPal, told ESPN that the unwanted requests for money sent to athletes are infrequent on the platform, but still 'unacceptable.' He believes college athletes belong in a unique subset of Venmo customers that deserve a higher level of monitoring and protection. 'Harassment or abuse of any kind is not tolerated on the platform, and strict action is taken against users who violate our policies,' said Szuchman, who oversees financial crime and customer protection for the company.
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