The FBI says Americans lost more than $388 million in 2025 to scams involving cryptocurrency kiosks, also known as crypto ATMs or Bitcoin ATMs.
These machines look similar to regular ATMs and let people buy or sell crypto using cash or debit cards, but scammers are increasingly using them to steal money from victims.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, more than 13,400 complaints involving crypto kiosks were filed in 2025. That marks a 23 percent rise in complaints and a 58 percent increase in losses compared with 2024. More than half of the complaints involved people over the age of 50, with reported losses of more than $302 million.
In many of these scams, criminals contact victims by phone, email, social media, or messaging apps and pressure them into withdrawing cash from their bank. They then guide the victim to a nearby crypto kiosk and tell them how to scan a QR code or send the money to a crypto wallet controlled by the scammer.
Texas, Florida, and California reported some of the highest numbers of crypto ATM scam complaints. FBI data shows Texas alone had 1,179 complaints with more than $56.8 million in adjusted losses, while Florida reported 1,213 complaints and more than $32.7 million in losses. California reported 978 complaints with more than $24 million in losses.
The FBI is urging people not to send money to anyone they only know online, not to follow instructions from strangers asking them to scan QR codes, and not to trust callers who demand cryptocurrency payments while pretending to be from the government, law enforcement, utility companies, or other official organizations. The agency also advises victims to keep receipts and transaction details and report scams to the IC3.
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