Cryptocurrency Payment Demand Scam
Scammers demand Bitcoin payment because it's untraceable. No legitimate entity ever accepts cryptocurrency for payments or fines.
🚩 Red Flags
- ⚠ANY entity demanding crypto
- ⚠Being directed to Bitcoin ATM
- ⚠Someone staying on phone while you pay
- ⚠Claims government accepts crypto
🛡️ Protect Yourself
- →HANG UP: No legitimate org demands crypto
- →DON'T GO to Bitcoin ATM for callers
- →VERIFY: Contact organization directly
- →IRS, SSA, courts do NOT accept crypto
More Details
- “You must pay in Bitcoin to avoid arrest”
- “Go to the nearest Bitcoin ATM”
- “Scan this QR code at the machine”
- “The IRS now accepts Bitcoin”
Common Questions
Check SEC/CFTC registration. Red flags: guaranteed returns, can't withdraw without fees, introduced by online strangers. Use Coinbase, Kraken, or other established exchanges.
Scammers build fake romantic relationships over months, then convince victims to invest in fraudulent crypto platforms. Named for "fattening the pig before slaughter." FBI tracked 41,557 complaints and $5.8B in losses from this scheme in 2024.
Rarely. Crypto is usually irreversible. Report to FBI IC3. Be wary of "recovery services" — most are scams targeting previous victims.
Bitcoin is irreversible, hard to trace, and instant. No government, business, or utility ever legitimately demands crypto payment.
Report This Scam
If you've encountered this scam, report it to help protect others.
Warn Someone You Know
Know someone who might fall for this? Share this warning with them.
Related Scams
IRS Phone Call Scam
Scammers pose as IRS threatening arrest for unpaid taxes. IRS never calls threatening arrest and always starts with mailed letters.
Social Security Suspension Scam
Scammers claim your SSN has been "suspended" due to criminal activity. This is impossible—SSNs cannot be suspended.
Sextortion Email Scam
Scammers claim webcam recording of you, demand Bitcoin. They have no video—it's mass spam. Old password from data breaches is their "proof." FBI IC3: 86,415 complaints, $143M losses in 2024.
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73% of Americans targeted(Pew, 2025)
|$470M lost to text scams in 2024(FTC)
|$16.6B total losses(FBI IC3, 2024)