Is a cryptocurrency ATM itself unsafe to use?

Not on its own—these machines are an ordinary way to buy cryptocurrency. The warning sign is being directed to one by a caller claiming to represent a bank, court, or government agency, since none of those actually accept payment that way.

Why do scammers push people toward cryptocurrency ATMs specifically?

A payment made through one of these machines moves quickly and is very difficult to reverse, which is exactly why an impersonator prefers it over a payment method that could be stopped or disputed.

Can I get money back after paying through one of these machines?

Sometimes, but it is hard. Ohio's attorney general says a completed crypto ATM transaction cannot be reversed and the funds are hard to trace. Kansas prosecutors credited a 2026 state law with helping one resident recover a loss, and in Ohio, state investigators traced and froze one woman's funds after she reported the scam to the FBI. Reporting it right away to the kiosk operator and to investigators gives you the best chance.

Scam alert

Told to Put Cash Into a Bitcoin (Crypto) Machine? Stop. It Is a Scam.

Updated Oct 19 · First posted Sep 14

Kansas · cftc.gov · Arrives by a phone call directing you to a cash machine

The short answer

Treat any instruction to pay someone through a cryptocurrency ATM as a sign to stop, no matter who is asking or why. No bank, court, police department, or government agency accepts payment through a crypto kiosk. If a caller, text, or someone speaking to you in person is directing you toward one of these machines, step away and call the organization they claim to represent yourself, using a number you already have or can look up independently, before you put in a single dollar.

What is happening

In October 2026, the Ohio Attorney General's office announced that the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation had returned $15,300 to a 63-year-old Allen County woman who, in 2024, followed a computer pop-up to a fake Microsoft support line and was told to withdraw cash and send it through a crypto ATM; BCI said it has assisted law enforcement with 309 crypto ATM fraud cases involving $5.6 million in losses since 2024. In September 2026, Richwood police in Brazoria County, Texas, warned that scammers told people to deposit cash into a cryptocurrency machine at a gas station and then send them a digital wallet address, and Kansas prosecutors described a Wichita-area case in which a caller posing as law enforcement said a warrant would be cleared by paying through a crypto kiosk. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said in an August 2026 advisory that reported losses to cryptocurrency ATM scams reached about $389 million in 2025, with more than half of that lost by people over 50.

How to recognize it

Someone claiming to be from a bank, court, police department, or government agency tells you to pay through a cryptocurrency ATM or kiosk.
A computer pop-up says your device has been hacked and gives you a support number, and the person who answers tells you to withdraw cash for a crypto ATM.
You are given a QR code or a wallet address to scan or enter at the machine, rather than an ordinary account or case number.
The person stays on the phone with you while you are at the machine and tells you exactly what to press.
You are told the payment is a bond, fine, fee, or a way to 'secure' your money, and that it has to happen right away.

What to do instead

Stop before putting cash into a cryptocurrency ATM at someone else's direction, no matter who they say they are.
Hang up or step away, then call the organization yourself using a number you already have or look up independently.
Remember that no bank, court, police department, or government agency accepts payment through a crypto kiosk.
Tell a friend or family member what you are being asked to do before you act on it.
If you want to tell someone, the rule is: if a caller or a pop-up sends you to a crypto ATM, stop and hang up.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

Paying after a convincing call or pop-up is common and understandable. These scams are built to rush you before you can check.
Contact the kiosk operator right away; some transactions can only be reversed within a short window.
Check whether your state has a consumer-protection law covering cryptocurrency ATM losses—a growing number, including Kansas, now do.
Report it to your local police right away, as Ohio's attorney general advises, and to the CFTC and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Watch your bank and other accounts for related activity you do not recognize.

Open Help Now

Common questions

Is a cryptocurrency ATM itself unsafe to use?: Not on its own—these machines are an ordinary way to buy cryptocurrency. The warning sign is being directed to one by a caller claiming to represent a bank, court, or government agency, since none of those actually accept payment that way.
Why do scammers push people toward cryptocurrency ATMs specifically?: A payment made through one of these machines moves quickly and is very difficult to reverse, which is exactly why an impersonator prefers it over a payment method that could be stopped or disputed.
Can I get money back after paying through one of these machines?: Sometimes, but it is hard. Ohio's attorney general says a completed crypto ATM transaction cannot be reversed and the funds are hard to trace. Kansas prosecutors credited a 2026 state law with helping one resident recover a loss, and in Ohio, state investigators traced and froze one woman's funds after she reported the scam to the FBI. Reporting it right away to the kiosk operator and to investigators gives you the best chance.

Practice this safely

Practice treating any request to pay through a cryptocurrency ATM as a reason to stop and verify, rather than to act.

Every story is fictional. There is no timer, no score, and no real message, payment, or account.

Start the four-story practice

Tell someone

Copy a short note you can paste into a text or email. It names the scam, the next step, and this page. Nothing is sent from this site.

Told to Put Cash Into a Bitcoin (Crypto) Machine? Stop. It Is a Scam.

Treat any instruction to pay someone through a cryptocurrency ATM as a sign to stop, no matter who is asking or why. No bank, court, police department, or government agency accepts payment through a crypto kiosk. If a caller, text, or someone speaking to you in person is directing you toward one of these machines, step away and call the organization they claim to represent yourself, using a number you already have or can look up independently, before you put in a single dollar.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/crypto-atm-kiosk-scams

Where this comes from

These links open the published sources in a new tab. The destination is shown before you open it.

More recent alerts

This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.

Try a practice story (free, no sign-up)