FBI Public Service Announcement Warns of Increased” Crypto ATMs and QR Code Scams –

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), America's domestic intelligence and security agency, has released a public notice about fraudulent schemes involving cryptocurrency ATMs and QR codes. The FBI's warning, released Nov. 4, highlights the presence of "scammers" who direct their energy toward unwitting victims.

US federal agency warns of increase in crypto fraudsters

On Thursday, the US government, the FBI, released a public notice stating that “criminal actors” are maliciously using cryptocurrency ATMs (ATMs) to compromise victims’ crypto assets. The FBI's press release comes from the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which has seen an "increase in scammers."

“The FBI is warning the public about fraudulent schemes that use cryptocurrency ATMs and Quick Response (QR) codes to facilitate payments,” the announcement said. “The FBI has identified an increase in scammers instructing victims to use physical cryptocurrency ATMs and digital QR codes to complete payment transactions.”

FBI offers public tips to avoid fraud

This is not the first time that the FBI has issued public warnings regarding the cryptocurrency ecosystem. In the first week of May, Bitcoin.com News reported about the FBI placing warning signs on crypto ATMs in the US, and in mid-July the federal agency released an industry-wide one warning about possible attacks on exchanges and holders of crypto assets.

The latest alert from the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center offers a number of tips to protect the average citizen from malicious criminal actors. “Do not send payments to someone you have only spoken to online, even if you believe you have established a relationship with that person,” the FBI press release said. “Do not follow the instructions of someone you have never met to scan a QR code and send the payment through a physical cryptocurrency ATM,” the federal agency’s warning said.

What do you think of the FBI's public announcement regarding the increasing presence of fraudsters using crypto ATMs and QR codes? Let us know your thoughts on this topic in the comments below.

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