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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWIRED reported on July 18, 2024, that an account it identified as JD Vance’s Venmo profile had 211 direct connections and a network spanning politics, media, technology, and education. The visible activity was sparse and mundane—not evidence of wrongdoing. The report describes what was visible then; it does not establish whether the account is public or accessible today.
How WIRED identified the account
WIRED said it verified the account through connections to Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, and people involved in the 2020 film adaptation of his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. The outlet’s account of its findings appeared on July 18, 2024.
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Vance’s Senate office declined to comment on the record for the article. WIRED reported that the account was public at the time of publication; that is a dated observation, not a check of its status now.
What the visible Venmo network showed
A broad set of professional and public connections
WIRED counted 211 people directly connected to the account. It described a network that included political and government figures, lobbyists, people associated with conservative think tanks, journalists and media personalities, technology executives, and fellow Yale Law School graduates.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
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That list can show the range of accounts connected to a profile, but it cannot establish why those connections appear. A Venmo friend-list entry does not prove that two people sent money to each other, personally know one another, or even know that Venmo has listed them as friends. WIRED made this distinction while discussing an account that Lanny Davis declined to confirm was his.
Little public transaction activity
WIRED said few transactions on Vance’s account were public. Its examples were ordinary, including a payment to a staff member for doughnuts. The article separately reported on an account belonging to former Senate campaign manager Jordan Wiggins; activity from that account should not be attributed to Vance.
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- This card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Funds do not expire. If available funds remain on your card after the valid thru date has passed, please call customer service for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout. No fees after purchase.
- To access your card information safely, type the complete website address shown on your Gift Card (MyGift.GiftCardMall.com) directly into your browser's address bar. Don't use search engines or shortened versions of the website address, as these may lead you to fake or fraudulent sites. Do not provide any Gift Card details (example: Card Number) to someone you do not know or trust. If you believe you've reached an illegitimate website, contact cardholder service at 1-888-524-1283. Be cautious of phishing sites, there are a variety of scams in which fraudsters try to trick others into paying with gift cards.
- To report your Lost or Stolen Physical Visa Card, call Customer Service 24/7 at 1 (888) 524-1283 to cancel your Gift Card as soon as you can. You will be asked to provide the Gift Card number and other identifying information.
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Why a visible friend list can matter
Social connections can reveal sensitive information even when transaction details are limited. Jennifer Lynch, general counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told WIRED: “Access to anyone’s social connections can reveal sensitive private information and expose them to security risks.”
Venmo spokesperson Caitlin Girouard told WIRED: “Venmo takes our customers’ privacy very seriously, which is why we let customers choose their privacy settings—and we make it incredibly simple for customers to make their account private if they choose to do so.”
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
What the report does—and does not—establish
- It is a report about an account WIRED identified and described in July 2024, not a current account-status check.
- The 211 figure refers to direct connections reported by WIRED, not transactions or confirmed personal relationships.
- The visible examples do not justify conclusions about collusion, financial dealings, or wrongdoing.
- The separate campaign-manager account WIRED discussed is not Vance’s transaction history.
How to review your Venmo privacy settings
Venmo’s privacy controls and interface can change, so check the current app and Venmo’s official help center rather than relying on dated menu instructions. Review each distinct kind of visibility: who can see transactions, who can see your friends list, whether you appear in other users’ lists, and whether the app can access or share contacts and location.
The FTC’s complaint concerning Venmo describes historical defaults and settings, including how transaction sharing could remain public under some combinations of settings. It is useful context for why checking more than one control matters, but it does not establish today’s labels or behavior. Fortune also published a setting guide on July 19, 2024; treat its instructions as dated rather than as a current walkthrough: Fortune’s Venmo privacy guide.
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
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- Gift Cards are shipped active and ready for use.
- This card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Funds do not expire. If available funds remain on your card after the valid thru date has passed, please call customer service for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout. No fees after purchase.
- To access your card information safely, type the complete website address shown on your Gift Card (MyGift.GiftCardMall.com) directly into your browser's address bar. Don't use search engines or shortened versions of the website address, as these may lead you to fake or fraudulent sites. Do not provide any Gift Card details (example: Card Number) to someone you do not know or trust. If you believe you've reached an illegitimate website, contact cardholder service at 1-888-524-1283. Be cautious of phishing sites, there are a variety of scams in which fraudsters try to trick others into paying with gift cards.
- To report your Lost or Stolen Physical Visa Card, call Customer Service 24/7 at 1 (888) 524-1283 to cancel your Gift Card as soon as you can. You will be asked to provide the Gift Card number and other identifying information.
- Use your Visa Gift Card in the U.S. everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, including online.
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