Apopka crypto scams are climbing. One victim lost more than $50K — here’s how the scheme works

APOPKA, Fla. – A phone call or message creates the crisis. The person on the other end says your bank account has a problem, your computer has been hacked or you could be in serious trouble.

Then comes the pressure: act now.

And eventually, the demand: get cash and send it using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency.

Apopka police say that scenario is no longer hypothetical in their city. The department told News 6 it received five reports involving Bitcoin or cryptocurrency during the first 26 days of August — more than it had typically been seeing — and reports have been steadily increasing for roughly three months. Before that, police said cases were more sporadic.

The amounts reported lost vary dramatically.

One recent report involved just $35.

Another involved $10,000.

Another involved $50,000.

The largest recent loss Apopka police identified to News 6 was $50,773.

And the numbers outside Apopka show why police are increasingly concerned.

According to 2025 data from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, Florida recorded 1,213 complaints involving cryptocurrency kiosks — the highest complaint count in the country — with more than $32.7 million in adjusted reported losses. Nationwide, the FBI received more than 13,400 complaints involving cryptocurrency kiosks and reported losses exceeding $388 million.