Payment

The FBI warns the public of fraudulent schemes leveraging cryptocurrency ATMs and Quick Response (QR) codes to facilitate payment. The FBI has seen an increase in scammers directing victims to use physical cryptocurrency ATMs and digital QR codes to complete payment transactions. A QR code is a square barcode with information that can be scanned and read with a smartphone camera. An individual can scan the QR code of an intended recipient to auto-populate the recipient field making it easier to send cryptocurrency to the correct destination. QR codes can be used at cryptocurrency ATMs to direct payment to an intended recipient. While many businesses have legitimately used QR code payment in the last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, QR codes also play a role in malicious use of cryptocurrency payments. Public Service Announcement