She lost a total of $43,130 in cash, wiring $13,700 to a bank in East Asia and depositing $29,430 into a bitcoin ATM, which converts your dollars to cryptocurrency and moves it into a digital wallet — ideally your own.
Todd Maher, president of the financial crimes consultancy BitSource AML Solutions, stressed that there’s never a good reason to send your dollars or crypto directly to a third party or anyone you don’t know.
“This is organized crime.
Those who believe they’ve been targeted by a scam or fraud should report it to their state’s consumer protection office, as well as to local law enforcement.