We Built a Free Scam Checker — Use It Before You Send Crypto
Every week, we see the same story play out at our machines. Someone is standing at a BitcoinNW ATM, ready to send crypto, and something feels off — a stranger they've never met is asking for payment, there's a sense of urgency, maybe secrecy. Sometimes it's completely legitimate. Sometimes it's a scam in progress.
We've spent years training our team to spot the warning signs and ask the right questions before a transaction goes through. Now we're putting that same screening process directly in your hands — for free, anytime, before you even get to the machine.
Introducing the BitcoinNW Scam Checker
The Scam Checker is a free tool that helps you evaluate whether a situation looks like a scam — before you send any crypto. Just answer whatever you know, and it gives you an instant risk score along with clear next steps.
You can check:
A website or domain someone told you to visit
A photo — a screenshot, a QR code, an ID, anything that was sent to you
Who contacted you — if someone claimed to be a celebrity, a government agency (like the IRS, Social Security, or FBI), or local law enforcement
How the conversation went — did they contact you first? Ask for crypto or gift cards? Create urgency or ask you to keep it secret? Ask you to install remote-access software? Have you actually met them in person?
You don't need to fill in everything — just enter whatever information you have, and the tool works with what's there.
Why This Matters
Crypto scams almost always follow a pattern: a stranger reaches out unexpectedly, builds trust quickly, then creates urgency or secrecy around a payment. It might be a romance scam, a fake tech support call, an impersonated government agency, or a "guaranteed investment." The details change, but the playbook is remarkably consistent.
That consistency is exactly why a quick check can make such a difference. If two or three of these red flags show up together, that's usually enough to stop and think twice — and the Scam Checker is built to help you spot that pattern quickly, without needing to be an expert yourself.
How to Use It
Fill in what you know — a URL, a photo, who contacted you, or answers to the conversation questions. Skip anything you don't have.
Hit Check and review your results — you'll get a risk score, a plain-language verdict, and a recommendation for what to do next.
If it looks risky, don't send any crypto. Talk to a trusted friend or family member, and consider reporting it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
We're Trained to Ask, Too
The questions in the Scam Checker aren't arbitrary — they're built on the same screening process our team uses in person at every BitcoinNW location. If you come to one of our machines and something looks off, our operators are trained to ask similar questions and slow things down before a transaction is completed. The tool just means you can run that same check yourself, anytime, before you're even at the ATM.
A Quick Note
The Scam Checker provides an automated risk assessment for informational purposes only. It's not legal, financial, or law enforcement advice, and it can't catch every scam — but it's a fast, free way to pressure-test a situation before you act. If you believe you've been the victim of fraud, contact local law enforcement or file a report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Stay safe out there — and when in doubt, check it out.