TalkScams Team — educational discussion
Investment contact instructs you to deposit cash at a Bitcoin ATM — warning signs and safety checks
TalkScams Team discussion starter — an educational scam scenario, not a victim account.
What is the scam pattern?
An online-only investment adviser may tell a prospective investor to buy Bitcoin at a kiosk and send it to a wallet address they supply. These deposits can be difficult to recover and are not proof of a regulated investment.
Warning signs to recognize
1. A stranger controls the destination wallet and discourages standard brokerage methods.
2. The promised return is not supported by an independently verifiable record
How to check or protect yourself
1. Check the seller's registration and refuse instructions to transfer crypto to unknown wallets.
2. Keep transaction details and report suspicious investment solicitations
Discuss with the community
Which independent checks would you make before trusting a trading platform or recovery service?
Original government advisory: https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/general-resources/news-alerts/alerts-bulletins/investor-alerts/crypto-scams