Crypto ATM ScamHelp and prevention

Developed by Byte Federal, a licensed bitcoin ATM operator, to protect people

For families

Protecting an older parent from crypto ATM scams

The best protection is one conversation, had before the phone rings, and a filter on the phone itself. Here is what to say, what to set up, what to watch for, and what to do if it has already happened.

In brief

People aged 60 and over reported $257 million in crypto ATM losses to the FBI in 2025, about two of every three dollars lost at these machines. Agree on one rule with your parent now: nobody real ever asks to be paid at a crypto ATM, and if anyone does, they hang up and call you. Watch for secrecy, large cash withdrawals and long calls they won’t discuss, and if it has happened, act fast and without blame.

Checked and updated by Byte Federal’s fraud-prevention team. How we check facts.

The conversation to have now

Scammers win by isolating people: they keep them on the phone, swear them to secrecy and invent a deadline. Your job is to make sure that, when it happens, your parent already knows the trick and already knows who to call.

  1. Agree on the rule. “Nobody real ever asks you to pay at a bitcoin machine. Not the police, not Social Security, not the bank. If anyone does, hang up and call me.”
  2. Pick a family code word. A word only the family knows settles a “grandchild in jail” call in seconds, even if the voice sounds right. Voices can be cloned from short clips posted online.
  3. Agree to pause before big withdrawals. Not to ask permission: just a phone call to you, or to another relative, before moving a large sum for any reason.
  4. Practise the hang-up. Hanging up on someone can feel rude. Give them the words: “I’ll call you back on the official number,” then hang up.
  5. Tell them the scripts. Read how the scam works together. A script is easier to recognize when you have heard it before.

Signs someone is being coached right now

  • Long phone calls they won’t talk about, or that they take in another room.
  • Sudden, large cash withdrawals, sometimes several days running, with a vague reason (“a home repair”).
  • Fear, urgency or secrecy: talk of an investigation, an arrest, a frozen account or a relative in trouble.
  • Questions about bitcoin, QR codes or where the nearest “bitcoin machine” is.
  • Receipts from a crypto kiosk, or a new “investment” app with big gains shown on the screen.
  • A new online friend or romantic partner they have never met in person.

If you see these signs, stay calm and stay with them. Ask who they are talking to, and offer to call the agency or the bank back together, on a number you look up yourselves.

Protections worth setting up

  • Screen the calls first. These scams most often begin with a phone call, so the strongest protection is the one that stops the call before it reaches your parent: the carrier’s free scam blocking, the phone’s own setting for unknown callers, or a paid screening service such as PhoneShield, which asks unknown callers who they are before the phone rings (it is made by a sister company of Byte Federal). Set it up together: how to stop scam calls.
  • Bank alerts for large withdrawals, sent to your parent and, if they agree, to you.
  • A trusted contact person on bank and brokerage accounts. The firm can call that person if it suspects exploitation; it gives them no authority over the account.
  • View-only monitoring. Some banks let a trusted relative watch transactions without being able to touch the money.
  • A shared list of real numbers (bank, Social Security, Medicare, the utility) so nobody has to trust a number a caller gives them.

If it has already happened

  1. Start with the first hour. Call the operator whose name is on the kiosk receipt, then the police, then the bank. The steps are on If you were scammed.
  2. Get help reporting. The Justice Department’s National Elder Fraud Hotline, 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), has case managers who help people aged 60 and over report fraud (Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern).
  3. Watch for the second scam. Victims are often contacted again by people promising to recover the money for a fee. Read about recovery scams together.
  4. If someone they know is exploiting them, contact Adult Protective Services in their state, or find local help through the Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116.

And be kind. People who are scammed often feel ashamed and hide it. The people who did this are professionals who do it all day.

Questions people ask

My parent says the caller was really from the government. How do I convince them?

Don’t argue about the caller; agree on the rule. Ask them to call the agency back on a number you look up together from its official website. Real agencies are happy to be checked. Scammers are not.

Should I take away my parent’s bank card?

Usually not, and never without them. Things that keep their independence work better: alerts on large withdrawals sent to you both, a trusted contact on their accounts, and an agreement to call you before moving any large amount.

My parent was scammed and is embarrassed. What should I say?

That it happens to careful, intelligent people, that the scammers are professionals, and that you are on their side. Shame keeps people from reporting and makes them a target for the next scam, especially fake “recovery” offers.

What if the person exploiting my parent is someone they know?

Contact Adult Protective Services in their state (the National Adult Protective Services Association lists every state’s office). If they are in danger now, call 911.

Sources for this page

  1. FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: 2025 Internet Crime Report (crypto ATMs/kiosks, p. 53) · 13,460 crypto ATM complaints and $389 million lost in 2025; $257 million of it by people 60 and over. Call center fraud (tech support and government impersonation): more than 80,000 complaints and over $2.9 billion lost.
  2. FTC Consumer Protection Data Spotlight on bitcoin ATM fraud (Sept 3, 2024) · Jan–Jun 2024 loss reports: a phone call was the most common first contact (about 47%), then online ads or pop-ups (16%); about 86% of people reporting a loss were on government impersonation, business impersonation or tech support scams; median loss $10,000; people 60+ more than three times as likely to report a loss.
  3. FinCEN Notice FIN-2025-NTC1: Use of convertible virtual currency kiosks for scam payments (Aug 4, 2025) · “Many scammers using CVC kiosks initiate contact with potential victims through unsolicited calls”; tech support scams are the most common kiosk scam; scammers stay on the phone until the payment is made and pick the machines.
  4. FTC: Pass It On · Materials for talking about scams with people you know.
  5. FBI public service announcement: Criminals use generative AI to facilitate financial fraud (Dec 3, 2024) · “Create a secret word or phrase with your family to verify their identity.”
  6. FTC: Scammers use fake emergencies to steal your money (September 2023) · Fake lawyers and police officers; voices cloned from short clips posted online; payment by cryptocurrency.
  7. FTC consumer alert: Sure ways to spot a scammer (Mar 7, 2024) · “Only say what I tell you to say”, “Don’t trust anyone”, “Don’t hang up”: each one a scam.
  8. FINRA, SEC and NASAA investor bulletin: Why you should consider adding a trusted contact to your account · A trusted contact can be called about possible exploitation but gets no authority over the account.
  9. CFPB: Choosing a trusted contact person can help you protect your money · Banks and credit unions may let you name a trusted contact they can reach if they suspect exploitation.
  10. CFPB: Older Americans are not alone in the fight to stop financial abuse · Let someone you trust monitor transactions without the right to access the funds; report exploitation to APS and police.
  11. U.S. Department of Justice: National Elder Fraud Hotline · 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, for fraud against anyone 60 or older.
  12. AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline · 877-908-3360, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET; guidance and support, not investigation.
  13. National Adult Protective Services Association: find your state’s APS · Report suspected financial exploitation of an older adult.
  14. Eldercare Locator (U.S. Administration for Community Living) · 1-800-677-1116; local services for older adults and families.

Every source was opened and checked on November 8, 2026. Laws and agency figures change; if you find something out of date, write to hello@cryptoatmscam.com and we will correct it.

Cite this page

Crypto ATM Scam Help. “Protecting an older parent from crypto ATM scams.” Updated November 8, 2026. https://cryptoatmscam.com/for-families/