A Centralia business lost approximately $1,000 after an employee was tricked into depositing money into a cryptocurrency ATM, according to a report from the Centralia Police Department.
Police said the incident occurred early Saturday morning around 8 a.m. at a business on the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue.
According to police, an employee received a phone call from someone they believed to be a legitimate manager.
The caller claimed that the business had an overdue bill that needed to be paid immediately.
Following the caller’s instructions, the employee withdrew cash from the business and deposited it into a “Bitcoin Depot” ATM using a QR code provided by the scammer.
The funds were then routed to an unknown recipient via the cryptocurrency network, and the money is considered unrecoverable.
Centralia police noted that Bitcoin Depot ATMs have been frequently used in scams across Lewis County.
In previous cases, victims have reported losing tens of thousands of dollars through similar tactics.
Authorities are continuing to investigate and are urging businesses and employees to be cautious of any payment requests involving cryptocurrency or QR codes, especially when coming from unexpected sources.
Anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to a similar scam is encouraged to contact the Centralia Police Department.
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