EXETER TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Exeter Township Police Department is warning people about a new scam in which the scammers are extorting victims using Bitcoin ATMs.
“It’s possible you can lose up to $25,000 in one shot,” said Lt. Sean Fullerton with Exeter Township Police. “In the past we’ve seen them direct people to go and get gift cards and read the number off the back of the gift card. Now, they’re just sending them to a Bitcoin ATM machine to follow that process and then give them the QR code that gets printed out.”
Police say victims can lose hundreds or even up to $25,000 in one transaction.
Fullerton says the scammer first establishes a reason the victims need to pay.
For instance, their computer has been hacked or a family member is in prison. The scammer then asks for payment in Bitcoin.
“Once you give away that QR code, it’s over. You’ve lost your money,” warned Fullerton.
Police say it is not the Bitcoin itself that is the problem, it’s simply the mechanism the scammers are using to access the information to steal from the victims.
“The best thing you can do is hang up the phone, delete that email, and just don’t respond to those type of inquiries directing you to use a machine like that,” explained Fullerton.
ETPD says it’s difficult to make arrests in these cases because they often lead overseas. Fullerton says the best way to protect yourself is try and prevent becoming a victim.
Never give your information away and don’t pay anyone without doing some further verification.
