MISSOULA, Mont. — Welcome to Spot the Scam with our sponsor, Clearwater Credit Union. SVP of Payment Operations Brit DeVries and Detective Ethan Smith with the Missoula Police Department joined NBC Montana Today anchor Jason Hurst to talk about the increase in crypto and Bitcoin scams.
They are warning the public about a rise in cryptocurrency scams, particularly involving Bitcoin ATMs. Smith said scammers often pose as law enforcement, using urgent phone calls and real officer names to pressure victims into depositing money at local Bitcoin kiosks. DeVries said financial institutions are working to educate customers, emphasizing that police will never demand payment over the phone. Authorities say once funds are sent through cryptocurrency, they are extremely difficult to recover, making prevention — such as hanging up suspicious calls and contacting agencies directly — the best defense.
For more information visit Clearwater Credit Union.