Adrian police warn of crypto ATM scams

ADRIAN, Mich. (WTVG) - The Adrian Police Department is warning of a surge in crypto ATM scams that has cost local victims thousands of dollars in the past week.

Police say scammers are posing as law enforcement and threatening arrest to try to force people to pay potentially thousands of dollars.

Scammers are tricking people into sending irreversible Bitcoin and other virtual currencies through local gas station ATMs using scannable QR codes, according to Adrian police.

Lane Montz, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, said the scam is not new, but is increasing.

“Unfortunately, it’s been on the rise steadily since 2023, but it’s really starting to explode in 2026,” Montz said.

Montz said the crypto ATM machines themselves are legal.

“What they call crypto or bitcoin ATM machines — they’re legitimate, they’re a legal device, so there’s nothing illegal about them. The problem is scammers are learning to trick people into taking money and putting it into those machines. It converts it to a crypto account, which of course is the scammer’s account, not your own,” Montz said.

Montz said recognizing the warning signs of a scam is one of the easiest ways to prevent becoming a victim. Experts say being contacted out of the blue with an urgent demand for money, or being threatened with arrest, are immediate red flags.