Georgia Woman Loses $4,900 in Bitcoin ATM Scam Over Jury Duty Threat

A woman in Forsyth County, Georgia, lost $4,900 after being scammed into thinking she had missed jury duty and needed to pay a fine to avoid arrest. The scammer told her to send the money to a Bitcoin ATM, which converted her cash deposit into cryptocurrency. This tactic is part of a larger set of fraud cases that use fear of a warrant and instructions to send money immediately.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned in June that callers claiming someone missed jury duty may threaten arrest unless the person pays in cryptocurrency. Courts do not demand payment by phone, and the FTC advises people to verify claims before making payments.

The FBI has also received over 13,400 complaints involving cryptocurrency kiosk scams, with losses exceeding $388 million in 2025. The agency is cautioning people who have sent funds through a crypto kiosk in a suspected scam to retain their receipts and transaction details when filing a complaint.