Overview
- The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center logged more than 12,000 Bitcoin ATM scam complaints from January through November 2025, with reported losses topping $333.5 million.
- Losses escalated sharply from prior years, compared with roughly $114 million in 2023 and $78 million in 2022, according to figures cited by federal agencies.
- Scammers commonly impersonate banks or companies and direct victims to deposit cash at kiosks; some schemes now use AI voice deepfakes to mimic relatives in fabricated emergencies.
- Older adults bear a disproportionate burden, with FTC data showing people 60+ accounted for 71% of reported Bitcoin ATM losses in the first half of 2024, totaling $46 million.
- The U.S. hosts over 30,000 kiosks—about four-fifths of the global total—enabling quick cash-to-crypto conversion that cannot be reversed, prompting DFPI alerts and FinCEN discussions of transaction caps and stronger monitoring.