untrappable.Check

Crypto ATM scam: why they want cash in the machine

Editorially reviewed · Last updated September 8, 2026

Yes — this is a scam. No real bank, business, or government agency will ever tell you to put cash into a Bitcoin ATM. The FTC says exactly that.

Exhibit · Phone call

Incoming call
Spam Risk
(202) 555-0175
maybe: US Treasury Dept
Voicemail transcript

“This is Officer Daniels with the federal fraud division. Your Social Security number has been linked to accounts used for money laundering, and your bank funds are considered at risk of seizure. To protect your balance we can move it to a secured federal wallet. Withdraw the cash today, take it to the crypto ATM at the store nearest you, and scan the QR code I'm sending now. Do not discuss this with bank staff — the investigation is active.”

Illustrative phone call · not an original screenshot

Other versions you might get: Impersonators use computer-infection alerts, unauthorized-charge stories, or supposed investigations to direct victims to crypto ATMs. In the first half of 2024, about 86% of FTC fraud-loss reports involving these machines identified government impersonation, business impersonation, or tech support—not 86% of the dollars.

What to do right now

  1. Don't withdraw the cash, and don't go to the machine. The FTC's guidance is direct: never withdraw cash in response to an unexpected call or message — only scammers tell you to do that.
  2. Verify the story on your own terms. If you think there really is a problem with an account, contact the bank, investment company or agency using a phone number, website or app you already know is real. Never the contact details in the message — those lead back to the scammer.
  3. Tell someone you trust before paying. In the first half of 2024, FTC reports showed adults 60 and older were more than three times as likely as younger adults to report a loss using a crypto ATM and accounted for about 71% of reported dollars lost through them.
  4. If you deposited cash: contact the ATM operator promptly through its official support details, explain the fraud, and ask about recovery options. Notify your bank and report to law enforcement. Keep the receipt and wallet details; recovery depends on the transaction and applicable protections.
  5. Report it. File at reportfraud.ftc.gov and with the FBI at ic3.gov. If someone claiming to be a government official contacted you, say so in the report — that's the pattern regulators are tracking.

Reduce the risk of another scam

Hang up and verify the claim through a number you find independently. If you paid or shared account details, start with what to do after a scam. Blocking and reporting can reduce unwanted contact, but they cannot stop every attempt or tell you how the sender found you.

● Public service · free steps first

Reduce unwanted calls

Start with call blocking and your phone or carrier's filtering options. The Do Not Call Registry covers sales calls from companies that follow the rules; it does not block scammers.

Decide what protection you need

Start with the free controls above. Compare what a paid service would add only after deciding which problem remains.

Compare free and paid protection →

No purchase needed. How we use evidence.

Frequently asked

Someone told me to deposit cash in a Bitcoin ATM to protect my money. Is that ever real?
No — not once, in any circumstance. The FTC's rule is unambiguous: don't believe anyone who says you need to use a Bitcoin ATM, buy gift cards, or move money to protect it or fix a problem, because real businesses and government agencies never do that, and anyone who asks is a scammer. There is no federal “safe wallet,” no bank procedure that requires cash in a crypto machine, and no investigation that needs your savings converted to Bitcoin. The instruction alone is enough to end the conversation.
How does the scam actually work at the machine?
In this scam, the supplied QR code identifies a wallet controlled by the recipient. Completing the cash-to-crypto transaction sends value there. These transfers generally lack a card-style chargeback, but contact the operator promptly and ask about recovery options; do not assume no help is possible.
How much are people losing to Bitcoin ATM scams?
Enough that the FTC issued a Data Spotlight on it. Reported fraud losses at Bitcoin ATMs increased nearly tenfold from 2020 to 2023 and topped $65 million in just the first half of 2024 — and because most fraud is never reported, that's a fraction of the real figure. The median individual loss in that period was $10,000, against a median of $447 for reported fraud generally. The losses are concentrated among older adults: people 60 and over reported losing $46 million using these machines in six months, about 71% of the reported total.
How did this start? I got a call about my bank account.
That's the most common entry point. FTC reporting shows phone calls were the initial contact in about 47% of these cases, followed by online ads or pop-ups at 16% and emails at 9% — and the pop-up cases are typically fake computer-security alerts carrying a number to call for help. Whatever the channel, the shape is the same: a problem you didn't know about, a claim that your money is at risk, and a rescue plan that happens to end at a machine. Government impersonation, business impersonation and tech support scams together account for roughly 86% of the reported losses.
I already put cash in the machine — what can I do?
Act in the next few minutes if you can. Call the crypto ATM operator on the number displayed on the machine or printed on your receipt and ask them to reverse or freeze the transaction; some operators can act if the funds haven't moved on. Then call your bank, keep the receipt and the wallet address, and stop all contact with the caller. Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at ic3.gov. Be ready for a follow-up: people who lose money this way are frequently contacted again by a “recovery service” that charges a fee to get it back — that's the same scam wearing a second mask.

Related scams

TextScam

Crypto scams: guaranteed returns are the giveaway

An “investment manager,” a can't-lose trading platform, a fee to withdraw your profits? Here's the verdict and what to do.

TextScam

Gift card scams: why scammers ask for them

Told to pay a bill, a fee, a fine, or your boss with gift cards? That demand is the scam. How the gift-card drain works and what to do if you paid.

CallScam

IRS phone scam: is that tax call real?

Got a call saying you owe back taxes and police are on the way? Here's the verdict on the IRS phone scam and what to do.

Pop-upScam

Microsoft pop-up scam: is that security warning real?

A pop-up says your PC is infected or blocked and to call a Microsoft support number? It's a scam. Here's the verdict and exactly what to do.

Sources

  1. 01Scammers use Bitcoin ATMs to steal your money— Federal Trade Commission
  2. 02Bitcoin ATMs: A payment portal for scammers (Data Spotlight)— Federal Trade Commission
  3. 03Report fraud to the FTC— Federal Trade Commission
  4. 04Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)— FBI
  5. 05Official security and fraud guidance— ftc.gov
  6. 06What To Do if You Were Scammed— consumer.ftc.gov

Pass it on

Help protect someone else

If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.