COLUMBUS, Ohio (AVC News) – The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) has returned more than $15,000 to a victim of a cryptocurrency scam involving crypto ATMs.
Crypto ATMs allow users to buy and sell cryptocurrency with cash or credit cards. They are often found in convenience stores and gas stations and can be used to scam victims into sending money directly into a scammer’s crypto wallet.
The transaction cannot be reversed once completed and the funds are hard to trace.
The Ohio BCI was recently able to return $15,300 to a 63-year-old Allen County woman who was a victim of a tech support scam in 2024. The scammers gave her a fake tech support hotline where they advised her to deposit cryptocurrency into a crypto ATM for payment.
The Electronic Financial Investigations Unit (EFIU) was able to successfully trace the stolen funds and return the full amount to the victim.
Since the creation of the EFIU by the Ohio BCI in 2024, they have assisted law enforcement with 309 fraud cases involving $5.6 million in losses tied to crypto ATMs.
“Crypto ATMs are a favorite tool for scammers looking to steal victims’ hard-earned money,” said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, whose office oversees BCI. “It is time that, as a state, we look at taking action to protect Ohioans from these criminal tools. Ohio consumers should be extremely cautious when someone asks you to send cryptocurrency – a scam might be right around the corner.”
Consumers are encouraged to be aware of potential scams and be skeptical if asked by unknown individuals to make transactions. Suspected scams should be reported to local law enforcement immediately.
