Cryptocurrency ATM

• Criminals designate ‘Crypto ATM Mules’ to convert illicit cash to cryptocurrency or vice versa, obscuring fund origin.
• Rapid deposits and withdrawals in fragmented amounts help evade standard currency transaction monitoring.

• Mules can deposit or withdraw illicit cash with minimal identification, exploiting weak or non-existent AML controls.
• Large or repeated deposits and withdrawals facilitate layering, obscuring the true origin and flow of funds.
• Criminals direct mules to use multiple terminals across different regions, complicating tracing.
• By converting bulk cash into crypto at these machines, illicit proceeds are more easily moved abroad and detached from their criminal source.

• Provide direct fiat-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat conversions with limited or no on-site identification checks.
• Facilitate rapid, off-the-record cash deposits or withdrawals, impeding law enforcement’s ability to trace transactions when machines operate under minimal compliance obligations.

Co-ordinated or scripted visits to multiple crypto ATMs—each cash deposit just below the ID-verification threshold—feed a wallet network that instantly forwards coins onward, turning street cash into blockchain value with minimal KYC.

• Traffickers feed physical cash from forced prostitution into crypto ATMs, acquiring digital assets without undergoing typical bank deposit scrutiny.
• Once converted, these funds can be rapidly transferred across multiple wallets, further concealing the illicit source of proceeds.

• Criminals can deposit physical cash in small increments below reporting thresholds, avoiding robust identity checks and creating anonymity.
• The self-service nature and minimal face-to-face scrutiny reduce the likelihood of customer identification, enabling quick placement or layering of illicit proceeds.
• Loosely regulated or noncompliant operators may permit high-value transactions with limited due diligence, further obscuring the transaction trail.

• Permits immediate exchange between cash and payment tokens, which can be exploited via multiple low-value transactions to avoid heightened scrutiny.
• Some machines operate with minimal ID verification, aiding anonymity and cross-border cash movement.

• Criminals feed counterfeit cash into machines that have limited or weak authentication of physical banknotes.
• The fake currency is quickly converted into cryptocurrency, obscuring the transaction’s origin.

• Permit rapid conversion of darknet-derived crypto to cash or vice versa, often with lax KYC, enabling physical anonymity.
• Conceal the beneficial owner’s identity by breaking the transaction chain when crypto exits into untraceable cash.

• Scammers direct victims to Bitcoin ATMs to convert fiat currency into cryptocurrency, often with minimal identity checks.
• This conversion process facilitates quick cross-border movement of illicit proceeds, bypassing traditional banking oversight.

Enables fast cash-out (or cash-in) of mined coins below ID thresholds; physical cash extraction severs the digital audit trail.