Crypto ATM losses surge 33% in 2025 as AI superpowers scams: CertiK

Crypto ATMs or kiosks are the “lowest-friction extraction channel available to scammers,” said cybersecurity firm CertiK.

Crypto ATM fraud surged to $333 million in the US in 2025, with complaints received by the FBI growing 33% in the year as scam networks became more industrialized while tapping into advanced AI deepfake technology.

The FBI recorded more than 12,000 complaints between January and November 2025, also a 33% increase from the prior year. The US accounts for 78% of the world's 45,000 cryptocurrency machines, said CertiK. 

Their ability to convert cash to crypto in under five minutes with minimal identity verification “makes them the lowest-friction extraction channel available to scammers,” the firm added. 

Elderly more vulnerable to social engineering

The report also noted that there was an “attribution gap” because the blockchain only records the operator-to-destination transfer, not the victim’s identity. This makes forensic tracing extremely difficult without court orders for operator records.

Around 86% of losses involve victims over 60, as older adults are disproportionately vulnerable due to “liquid savings,” lower crypto literacy, and social isolation.

However, younger victims are increasingly appearing in romance or investment scams, commonly known as “pig butchering,” which is one of five primary tactics used by scammers.

The other four approaches are government impersonation, tech support fraud, “grandparent scams,” and fake fraud recovery offers.

Unlike phishing or wallet-draining attacks, which involve compromising private keys or tricking users into signing malicious smart contract requests, ATM-based fraud “relies entirely on social engineering to induce the victim to perform a voluntary physical action at a kiosk,” stated CertiK.