FBI gives warning signs on Bitcoin ATMs after a recent scam.
FBI vs Bitcoin Scams! The FBI puts up warning signs on Bitcoin ATMs in Ohio. Warning the residents not to be tricked by scams that ask victims to send money to scammers through Bitcoin ATMs.
FBI Warns About Bitcoin Scams
The Cuyahoga County Scam squad in Cleveland and the FBI team up to alert the public about Bitcoin scams. These scams are like grandparent’s scam, explained Sheryl Harris, Director of the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs.
Vicki Anderson, an agent from FBI, warned that once the victims have sent their bitcoin, “it’s almost impossible to get it back so the best we can do is prevention and that’s why we’re trying to get the word out.”
The squad stated that the “Signs will soon be put up on bitcoin ATMs across the county, the signs are intended to make people think twice before going through with a transaction because they could be caught in a scam.”
Harris elaborated:
“The point of the signs is to just give people a chance to pause, like wait a minute … The government isn’t going to ask you for bitcoin, they just won’t, the jail won’t ask you to pay in bitcoin and your utility company doesn’t accept bitcoin payments.”
Actions Against Scams
The FBI and the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs issued an alert last week. Addressed to different local businesses to be on the lookout for Bitcoin ATM scams. The authorities have been asking the businesses to display the warning signs in a “noticeable place or near the ATM.”
A man who was just about to be a victim of a Bitcoin scam. He said that he got a call from someone who sounded like his son. Stated that he was hurt in a car accident, got thrown in jail, and needed bond money.
The man and his wife have been instructed to withdraw $9,000, then go to a Bitcoin ATM, and then use the QR code provided by the scammer to deposit the cash. The man stated that the shopkeeper where the ATM is, came up and asked them “can I help you?” When the man said that he needed to send money to a lawyer with a Bitcoin ATM, the shopkeeper told him that he was getting scammed. Hearing it, the couple called their son and confirmed it was a scam. Because of this, the FBI vs Bitcoin Scams goes on.
“Education and prevention are the best tools to avoid being a victim of a financial scam … It is imperative for consumers to verify financial transactions prior to sending money in any form, including virtual currency. Be financially safe, learn more before sending.”
Bryan P. Smith, the FBI’s assistant special agent in charge
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