This is a bad place to be, and this is the type of thing the government and law enforcement should be doing something about.
Inc. How Bitcoin ATMs Are Helping Scammers Steal Millions As cryptocurrency machines spread across the country, gas station employees are becoming the unlikely last line of defense against crypto fraud. BY SAM BLUM Sep 11, 2025 The BTM scams usually follow a similar blueprint. First, the scammer messages their mark, often impersonating a government worker or claiming they work for a recognizable company like Microsoft. They claim that they’re collecting on an overdue bill, and tell their victim to pay in Bitcoin, guiding them to a nearby BTM. Sometimes, the social engineering component becomes more sinister, with thieves doctoring fake arrest warrants using AI, Matthew Hogan, a crypto crime specialist with the Connecticut State Police, tells Inc. “They’ll email you an arrest warrant. And you can tell, once we look at it, obviously, it’s Adobe [Photoshop], but they’ve used AI to enhance it. They’ll take the DOJ logo and throw it on there. They’ll manipulate signatures,” he explains. The end result has all the hallmarks of pulpy true crime, or a suburban nightmare. All told, Hardy says she’s stopped around seven crypto scams from taking place in her store since she started working there last September.
My letter to reps:
I’ve heard that gas station attendants in Connecticut are having to warn people going to Bitcoin ATMs are being scammed. Is that happening here in Pennsylvania? What is being done to protect people at these Bitcoin ATMs?
Please feel free to copy or repurpose for your own letters to reps.