Bitcoin ATM scams surge, disproportionately duping older adults
The FTC said reported losses from Bitcoin ATM fraud topped $110 million last year, as scammers lure victims to send them large sums through the crypto kiosks.
Call it a diabolical new twist on an old scam: ATM fraudsters are turning to bitcoin.
Data the Federal Trade Commission provided to NBC News show the amount of money consumers have reported losing to scams involving Bitcoin ATMS rose nearly tenfold since 2020, topping $110 million in 2023.
And older people are getting roped in the most. The agency said consumers over age 60 were more than three times as likely as younger adults to say they were duped out of cash in these schemes.
Tune in to “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT tonight for more.
“Scammers are using these machines as a way to take money from people more than we’ve seen in the past,” Emma Fletcher, a senior data researcher at the FTC, told NBC News.
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