Crypto ATMs are everywhere. They’re also dream tools for fraudsters

Police and observers say tougher rules needed to protect customers at risk of crypto scams

7 Jan 2025 • 7 min read

A sticker on a bitcoin ATM warns that it does not accept payments for the Canadian government.

Cryptocurrency ATMs like this one in downtown Vancouver often bear warnings about fraud. But police say they routinely receive reports of people scammed into sending money through these machines. (Zak Vescera/The Investigative Journalism Foundation)

Zak Vescera

Zak is a Vancouver-based reporter focusing on white-collar crime in British Columbia. He previously reported for The Tyee and The Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

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