BOISE, Idaho – The office of Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador shared a press release Tuesday warning residents about a surge of cryptocurrency ATM scams.
The scams predominantly target seniors, the release said, using fake tech support calls and government imposter schemes.
“Criminals are calling Idaho seniors pretending to be from a legitimate business or government agency, then directing them to deposit thousands of dollars into cryptocurrency machines at gas stations to supposedly fix computer problems or pay fake fines,” Labrador said.
One employee at Stinker Store prevented two seniors from losing more than $30,000 to fraud by unplugging the machine and calling police to help convince them of the scam, according to the press release.
“If anyone demands you put cash into a cryptocurrency ATM for any reason, it’s more than likely a scam and you should report it immediately,” Labrador said.