Payments

Scammers use bitcoin ATM to steal $30K from woman

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June 20, 2023

A 76-year-old woman was reportedly scammed out of $30,000 after being convinced to deposit it in a bitcoin ATM in mid May, according to a Journal-News report.

According to a police report, the woman was lured into the scam after her laptop froze and made a loud noise. A Microsoft logo appeared with a phone number which she called.

After the man on the phone said he could repair her computer, a second man called claiming to be from a federal government fraud department who told her there were fraudulent deposits to her bank account.

Following the man's directions, the woman withdrew $15,000 from her bank and deposited it at a Bitcoin Depot ATM. The next day, the "agent" called her and told her to deposit another $23,000. This time, the bank only allowed her to withdraw $15,000, which she later deposited in the bitcoin ATM.

A customer service representative at Bitcoin Depot told the news outlet there is no way to trace the purchased bitcoin. She said the company can only deactivate the victim's account and flag the recipient's digital wallet to make sure no more bitcoin can be sent to it. The company can also return the ATM fee to the victim.