Beware of these schemes asking for cryptocurrency payments.
The FBI warns in a public service announcement that scammers target victims by directing them to make payments with QR codes at cryptocurrency ATM locations.
There are three different schemes people should beware of involving requested payments in the form of QR codes at cryptocurrency ATMs. This includes romance, online impersonation and lottery schemes.
Though QR codes are used at and for legitimate businesses and services, they can also be used for fraud. However, there are signs to look for to tell whether you’re being scammed or not, and previous cases share similarities.
The person running one of these scams typically requests the victim withdraw money from their personal accounts before providing that victim with a QR code. That QR code links to the scammer’s cryptocurrency wallet, which is where the ATM comes into play.
Once the victim is at a physical cryptocurrency ATM, they are directed to deposit their money in the machine and purchase cryptocurrency. Then, the victim uses the QR code from the scammer that links to the scammer’s cryptocurrency wallet.
If you or someone you know is a victim of a cryptocurrency and QR code scam, victim resources can be found at fbi.gov.
