meta_id 3307336

On July 8, 2026, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced a $45 million multistate settlement with Block, Inc., the company operating the peer-to-peer payments application Cash App. The settlement resolves allegations that Block misled consumers about Cash App's safety, failed to protect users from fraud, and failed to provide promised fraud protection and resolution required by law. Massachusetts will receive $730,000 under the settlement terms. The investigation found that Block advertised Cash App as safe while knowing fraud on the platform was rising sharply. Block promoted direct deposits of paychecks and government benefits into Cash App, particularly targeting unbanked and underbanked consumers who relied on the app as their primary financial account. However, Block's policies actively facilitated fraud: the sign-up process lacked identity verification, enabling fraudsters to create accounts; Cash App had no phone support for years, causing users to contact fake numbers operated by scammers; and Block ran the "Cash App Fridays" promotion encouraging users to publicly post their unique identifiers, which fraudsters exploited to steal login information. Users experienced prolonged account lockouts and received no recourse for unauthorized transactions. Under the settlement, Block must implement responsible practices including maintaining 24-hour customer support with human phone availability at least 13.5 hours daily and live chat at least 18 hours daily; ceasing false or misleading claims about Cash App's safety; discontinuing marketing practices known to increase fraud; directly educating consumers about fraud types; and fulfilling legal obligations to investigate fraud claims and reimburse users for unauthorized transactions. The settlement reaffirms Block's commitment to distribute between $75 million and $120 million to compensate consumers nationwide as part of a separate Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) settlement.