Niagara Police Launch Public Awareness Campaign on Crypto ATMs Fraud

Niagara Police team up with crypto ATMs operators to raise awareness about fraud risks, educating users on safe ATM practices.

The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) is teaming up with major cryptocurrency ATM operators in Ontario to launch a public awareness campaign against fraud. This partnership was announced on January 21, 2025. The initiative partners with main bitcoin outlets Bitcoin Depot, Bitcoin4U, HODL, Bitcoin Well, LocalCoin, and Instacoin.

The main goal is to educate people about the dangers they face when using cryptocurrency ATMs. These devices now installed in public spaces experience high levels of scam usage. Niagara Region had to report 60 cryptocurrency ATM fraud incidents in 2024 that resulted in $1.3 million lost by users.

Scammers create fake collection notices for government debts and utility services as part of their scams. Criminals exploit feelings and work opportunities to deceive people into sending them funds through multiple scam techniques. These scammers tell victims cryptocurrency ATMs appear as fast solutions to move their money. Once senders send funds through this system they cannot be retrieved.

Niagara Police Urge Caution When Using Crypto ATMs Amid Rising Fraud Cases

The NRPS is taking action to stop these scams. ATM operators partner with officers from both the Central Fraud Unit and the CyberCrime Unit to display security warnings on their machines. The alerts will educate ATM users about potential dangers and clarify that once they send cryptocurrency these machines the transfer becomes permanent. Once the funds are transferred, they are gone.

The campaign seeks to teach people about secure cryptocurrency ATM usage. The NRPS tells people not to use cryptocurrency machines when they receive payment demands they didn’t ask for. Before making any payment with an ATM request verify all transaction information. Find official contact details and use traditional channels to check that the payment request comes from a real source.

The safe ATM use campaign receives full participation from Bitcoin Depot and Bitcoin Well cryptocurrency companies. Their work helps the public understand fraud risks better while using payment machines. The main goal of this awareness campaign is to protect users from scams and decrease the total number of fraudulent transactions.

The NRPS runs this program to help reduce money theft in Niagara and stop more people from losing funds to scams. Working together with cryptocurrency ATM operators makes the police better able to protect users during digital currency exchanges.