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Michigan Attorney General warns of bitcoin ATM scams

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April 21, 2026

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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning residents to be wary of bitcoin ATM scams. In particular, she stated that "If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from an agency or company who demands you use a Bitcoin ATM to pay a fine or bill, it is most certainly a scam," according to a report by WNEM.

She made this statement as part of Money Smart Week. In most of these cases, scammers will use urgency to trick victims into depositing funds, and ignore all warnings on the machines.

Several states have enacted laws setting daily transaction limits and requiring refunds for scam victims, such as West Virginia, while others like Indiana have outright banned the machines. Currently, Michigan does not have laws on the state level limiting transactions at bitcoin ATMs, but a few localities have passed ordinances, such as Grosse Pointe Farms, which imposes a $1,000 daily transaction limit for new users.

A consumer protection article on Michigan's government website notes: "Some states have taken action by limiting Bitcoin ATM transactions to $1,000 per day. The amount scammers can steal from victims in a single transaction is significantly reduced in this way. A similar limit in Michigan could have prevented an elderly couple from losing their entire life savings."

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