An increasing number of crypto fraud cases in the United States are converging on a familiar retail fixture: bitcoin ATM kiosks in places like supermarkets and gas stations.

For victims, that stop often marks the irreversible stage, when cash is exchanged for cryptocurrency controlled by scammers, and recovery becomes far less likely.

What’s happening?

More than $11 billion in losses and 181,565 crypto-related complaints were reported by Americans in 2025, according to new FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center figures cited by CryptoSlate. Within that broader wave of fraud, bitcoin ATMs are increasingly appearing as the places where victims are ultimately directed to send money.

In many cases, the scam shifts…