Crypto
US Crypto-Kiosk Scams Soar as Americans Lose $388 Million in 2025
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has issued a stark consumer alert warning of crypto-kiosk scams.
Americans lost more than $388 million to these types of fraud in 2025, a 58 percent jump from the prior year, according to FBI data.
More than half of complaints came from people over 50, with adults 60 and older filing 6,188 complaints and reporting losses exceeding $257 million.
Crypto ATMs differ fundamentally from traditional bank machines; cash deposited into a kiosk is converted directly into cryptocurrency and sent to a wallet the sender does not control.