Already paid
Scammed at a crypto ATM? What to do now
Take a breath. You are not the first, and you are not stupid. Work down this list in order, starting now.
Stop sending money and hang up. Call the crypto ATM operator whose name is on the kiosk or your receipt, tell them it was a fraudulent transaction, and ask them to stop it if it hasn’t gone out and to block the scammer’s wallet. Then report it to your local police and your bank, and to the FTC and the FBI. Crypto often can’t be recovered, so never pay anyone who promises to get it back.
Checked and updated by Byte Federal’s fraud-prevention team. How we check facts.
The first hour, in order
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Now minute 0
Stop paying. Hang up.
Don’t send any more money, whatever they say: that it will reverse the first payment, unlock a refund or stop an arrest. Hang up, stop replying, and block the number. Don’t call them back.
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Minutes 0 to 15
Call the crypto ATM operator
The operator’s name and phone number are on the kiosk and on your receipt. Tell them it was a fraudulent transaction. Ask them to stop it if it hasn’t gone out yet and to flag the scammer’s wallet so other kiosks refuse it. Have this ready:
- the receipt, or a photo of it
- the date, time and address of the kiosk, and the amount
- the wallet address the money went to and the transaction ID (often called TXID, usually on the receipt)
Be ready for a no: crypto that has already gone out generally can’t be pulled back. Call anyway. A quick call can stop a transaction that hasn’t gone out, lets the operator flag the scammer’s wallet, and puts your report on record, which your state’s rules may require. Operator phone numbers are below.
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First hour
Call the police, then your bank
Police: call your local police department’s non-emergency number (911 if you are threatened or in danger) and file a report. Ask for the report number; some state laws require a police report within a set number of days.
Bank: tell your bank or card issuer what happened, especially if you were told what to say when you withdrew the cash, gave out account details, or let someone connect to your computer. If they did, disconnect the computer from the internet and have it checked before you use it for banking again.
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Today
Report it to the FTC and the FBI
FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov, or call 877-382-4357. Reports are shared with law enforcement across the country.
FBI: file a complaint at ic3.gov. The FBI asks for the transaction ID, the wallet address the money went to, the kiosk’s location, any phone numbers, emails or names the scammer used, and a description of what happened.
If you are 60 or older, the Justice Department’s National Elder Fraud Hotline can help you report: 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
More places to report, depending on the scam: where to report a crypto ATM scam.
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This week
Protect yourself from the next scam
- Keep everything: receipts, screenshots, text messages, the numbers that called you.
- Expect a “recovery” offer. People who lost money are targeted again by fake recovery firms, lawyers and officials. How to spot them.
- If you gave out your Social Security number or ID, report it at IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
- Check your state’s law. Some states now make the operator reimburse scam losses from its own funds if you report quickly, and the deadlines are strict: crypto ATM laws by state.
- Stop the next call. Scammers call back, often with a new story. Turn on your carrier’s free scam blocking and your phone’s call screening: how to stop scam calls.
- Tell someone you trust. Talking about it is how scams lose their power.
Crypto ATM operators’ phone numbers
Call the number on your kiosk or receipt first: it is the right one even if your operator isn’t listed here. Numbers below are taken from each operator’s own website, listed alphabetically.
Operators that no longer run kiosks
Numbers checked November 8, 2026. Operators change numbers; if one is wrong, tell us at hello@cryptoatmscam.com. Byte Federal, which built this site, is one of the operators listed; the list treats every operator the same.
Will I get my money back?
Often not, and it is better to hear that from us than from a scammer selling false hope. The FTC puts it plainly: it is very difficult to get your money back when you pay using cryptocurrency. Crypto that reaches a scammer’s wallet is often moved on quickly.
There are real ways it sometimes comes back, and they all start with acting fast:
- the operator stops a transaction that hasn’t gone out yet;
- law enforcement traces and seizes the scammer’s funds, which only happens if you report it;
- in some states, the law makes the operator pay you from its own funds if you report in time.
Be clear about what that last one is. It is not a refund. The operator didn’t keep your money: it sold real bitcoin, and the scammer has it. A law like that takes the scammer’s theft and moves it onto the operator, which pays the loss out of its own money while the scammer keeps every dollar, and through higher fees and closed kiosks onto the other people who use those machines. We think it aims at the wrong party: why. But if your state has such a law, it applies to you, and its deadlines are strict, so check your state’s law today.
Questions people ask
Can the ATM company reverse my transaction?
Usually not once the crypto has been sent: transactions on the blockchain generally can’t be undone. Ask anyway, straight away, as the FTC advises. Some operators can stop a transaction that hasn’t gone out yet. In some states the law now makes the operator pay victims back out of its own money, even though the scammer, not the operator, has the funds. See crypto ATM laws by state.
Do I really need to file a police report?
Yes. Several state laws require one within a deadline, operators ask for it, and it puts your case on record for the investigators who can actually trace the scammer.
The scammer says I must send more to undo the first payment, or to avoid arrest. Should I?
No. Nothing you send will bring the first payment back. Scammers often come back for more, sometimes with a new story or a new way to pay. Stop all contact.
Someone called offering to get my money back. Are they legitimate?
Almost certainly not. The FTC and the FBI warn that people who already lost money are targeted by “recovery” scams. Read how recovery scams work.
I feel stupid. Should I just keep quiet?
Please don’t. These scams are run by professionals who rehearse their scripts, and they work on careful, intelligent people. Reporting is how operators block wallets and how investigators find the people behind it.
Sources for this page
- FTC: What to do if you were scammed (June 2026) · “Contact the cryptocurrency exchange or ATM operator immediately. Tell them it was a fraudulent transaction.” Then report to the FTC.
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov frequently asked questions · Getting crypto back is very difficult; ask the company to reverse it; anyone offering to “help” recover money is probably a fake refund scam.
- FBI public service announcement I-051526-PSA: Cryptocurrency kiosk complaint data by state (May 15, 2026) · “No legitimate law enforcement or government official will call to demand payment via a cryptocurrency kiosk.” What to give the FBI: TXID, wallet address, kiosk location.
- FBI: Cryptocurrency (IC3 crime information page) · File a complaint even without a loss; give addresses, amounts, transaction hashes, dates and times.
- FBI public service announcement: Scammers impersonating law enforcement and government officials (Sept 17, 2026) · Nearly 61,000 complaints and over $1.6 billion lost, Jan 2025 – Jul 2026; jury-duty and warrant scripts; payment into crypto kiosks.
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov · Report fraud; reports are shared with over 2,000 law enforcers.
- FBI: Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov) · File an internet crime complaint, including crypto ATM scams.
- 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.
- FTC: IdentityTheft.gov · Report identity theft and get a recovery plan.
- FTC: Refund and recovery scams (December 2023) · Scammers target people who already lost money, promising to get it back if they pay first.
- Athena Bitcoin: published support line · (312) 690-4466, customer support (u.s.), as shown on athenabitcoin.com.
- Bitstop: published support line · (855) 524-8786, phone support, as shown on bitstop.co.
- Byte Federal: published support line · (786) 686-2983, customer support, as shown on bytefederal.com.
- Cash2Bitcoin: published support line · (888) 897-9792, customer service support line, as shown on cash2bitcoin.com.
- CoinFlip: published support line · (877) 757-2646, customer support, as shown on coinflip.tech.
- Coinhub: published support line · (702) 763-4443, call or text support, as shown on coinhubatm.com.
- Coinme (Coinstar kiosks): published support line · (888) 459-9780, fraud and scam reporting line (voicemail), as shown on help.coinme.com.
- RockItCoin: published support line · (888) 702-4826, customer service, as shown on rockitcoin.com.
- Bitcoin Depot: status and help line · Announced a Chapter 11 wind-down in 2026 and took its kiosks offline; its website was not loading on November 8, 2026.
- Crypto Dispensers: status and help line · Says its in-store cash-loading service has ended.
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. “If you were scammed at a crypto ATM: what to do in the first hour.” Updated November 8, 2026. https://cryptoatmscam.com/if-you-were-scammed/