Someone asked me to pay in bitcoin

If anyone tells you to pay in bitcoin, or to feed cash into a bitcoin ATM and scan a code they sent you, it is almost certainly a scam. Real banks, tax offices, police, courts and utilities don't take payment that way, and they never ask you to move your savings into bitcoin to protect them.

The stories it comes with

"Your account is compromised"	A caller posing as your bank or a fraud team says your money is at risk and must be moved to a "safe" address. The address is theirs.
"There's a warrant"	Someone posing as police, a court or the tax office says you'll be arrested unless you pay a fine today.
"Your power will be cut"	A fake utility demands an overdue bill in bitcoin within the hour.
"We have your videos"	An email claims to have recorded you and demands bitcoin. It often shows an old password from a data leak to look convincing. It is a bluff.
"Your bitcoin purchase of $499"	An invoice email for a purchase you never made, with a phone number to call to cancel it. The call leads to someone asking for remote access to your computer and a "refund" through a bitcoin ATM.
"You have bitcoin waiting"	A call or message saying you own forgotten bitcoin from years ago and only need to pay a fee to release it.
"Your grandson is in trouble"	A call or message about a relative who needs bail or hospital money, fast and in secret.

Why bitcoin ATMs

An ATM turns cash into bitcoin and sends it to whatever address the QR code holds, in minutes, with no way back. In 2025 the FBI received 13,460 complaints involving crypto ATMs, with $389 million lost, two thirds of it by people aged 60 and over. Many scammers keep the victim on the phone the whole way to the machine.

What to do

1. Stop and hang up. A real organization lets you call back.
2. Call them yourself on a number from their official website, your card or a bill, not the one you were given.
3. Tell someone you trust before you pay anyone anything.
4. Ignore threatening emails. Change the password they quote if you still use it anywhere.

Worried about a parent or partner?

Many people discover it from the outside: unusual cash withdrawals, receipts from a bitcoin ATM, secret phone calls, or a new online friend. Scammers often tell victims not to trust family or their bank. Talk calmly and without blame; shame keeps people paying. Ask to see the messages, call the bank together, and report it to the police or the national fraud line. Telling the ATM operator quickly, with the receipts, sometimes helps.

If you already paid

Act fast. Call the ATM operator on the number printed on the machine or your receipt; some can flag the payment. Report it to the police and your national fraud line, and keep the receipt, the QR code and the messages. Then read if you've been scammed, especially the part about recovery scams.