A Centralia business was scammed out of $1,000 after an employee was deceived into depositing money into a cryptocurrency ATM, as reported by the Centralia Police Department.
The Scam Unfolded
The incident took place early Saturday morning at a business located on the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue. An employee received a phone call from someone posing as a legitimate manager, who claimed the business had an overdue bill that needed immediate payment.
Following the scammer's instructions, the employee withdrew cash from the business and deposited it into a Bitcoin Depot ATM using a QR code provided by the fraudster. The funds were then transferred to an unknown recipient via the cryptocurrency network, rendering the money unrecoverable.
A Growing Trend
Centralia police highlighted that Bitcoin Depot ATMs have been increasingly used in scams across Lewis County, with previous victims reporting losses in the tens of thousands of dollars through similar schemes.
Authorities' Advice
Law enforcement is actively investigating these incidents and advises businesses and employees to exercise caution with any payment requests involving cryptocurrency or QR codes, particularly those from unexpected sources. Victims of similar scams are encouraged to contact the Centralia Police Department.
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