“Anyone can be a hero. It just takes a little courage.”- Superman

Welcome to the new year and choosing to fight for what is right, especially against crypto ATM scams and other fraud that devastate real people.

In this issue, you will see why that choice matters more than ever, including how $333 million was lost through these machines. What you learn next may change how you approach every case ahead.

Hero Briefing

• Americans lost $333 Million to Crypto ATM Scams

• $3.3 Million Gone Because an Email Didn’t Get Forwarded

• Luxury Fraud, Stolen Identities, and Instagram Fame

• Embezzled $80K From Nonprofit Bail Fund

• CFPB Funding Fight, Round Whatever This Is Now

Americans lost $333 Million to Crypto ATM Scams

The Intel:

Americans lost at least $333 million to Bitcoin ATM scams in 2025, according to the FBI, and the trend is not slowing down. Losses jumped from $114 million in 2023 to $246 million in 2024, and now hundreds of millions more are gone. Older Americans are the primary targets, and the machines keep doing exactly what scammers need them to do.

Why it matters:

Crypto ATMs look official, physical, and familiar, which makes people assume there are safeguards. Scammers exploit that trust and the urgency they create on the phone. Victims are rushed, scared, and told this is the only way to save their money or pay a legal fine.

Detective’s Insights:

• These machines are not being abused by accident. Internal data shows operators know most transactions are scams, yet the fees keep flowing.

• When 93 percent of transactions are fraud per reports and active lawsuits, this is no longer a misuse problem. It is a business model problem.

Takeaway:

• No legitimate bank, government agency, or company will ever send you to a Bitcoin ATM

• If someone pressures you to act fast, stop immediately

• Crypto ATM fees are massive and often hidden by markups

• Most victims do not realize they were scammed until the money is unrecoverable

• Regulation is coming because the industry has failed to self police

$3.3 Million Gone Because an Email Didn’t Get Forwarded

The Intel:

Warren County wired $3.3 million to scammers after someone impersonated a legitimate contractor and asked for a payment change. The twist. The real contractor had warned the county months earlier that this exact scam was coming. That warning never made it to the treasurer’s office, the one department that actually sends the money.

Why it matters:

The scammers knew invoice amounts, contract details, and exactly who to impersonate. That means this was not a random phishing email. It was targeted, informed, and patiently executed. Two wire transfers later, the money was gone.

Detective’s Insights:

This wasn’t a tech failure. It was a communication failure. Business email compromise does not require hacking a system. It only requires one missed warning, one unverified change request, and one person assuming someone else already checked.

Takeaway:

• Any request to change payment instructions must be verified out of band every time

• Warning notices are useless if they stop at the wrong inbox

• Wire transfers can be reversed but must be reported immediately

• Scammers increasingly operate from inside the U.S., not just overseas

• Internal processes, not firewalls, are often the weakest link

Luxury Fraud, Stolen Identities, and Instagram Fame

The Intel:

Danielle Miller just got 16 years in state prison after pleading guilty to 38 counts of identity fraud. She used stolen identities to rip off banks across Florida, after already serving time for stealing over $1 million in pandemic relief funds. The money went exactly where you think it did. Private jets, luxury apartments, and waterfront villas.

Why it matters:

This was not a solo hustle. Miller bought personal data sourced from mail theft, phishing, and social engineering, some of it tied to contacts in Nigeria. With that information, she built a fraud assembly line. Fake identities, credit reports, cards, loans, then fast spending before anyone caught on.

Detective’s Insights:

This case is a reminder that identity theft is rarely about one bad actor. It is about networks, data access, and speed. Once your personal information is exposed, criminals do not waste time. They monetize it immediately, often across multiple states and financial institutions.

Takeaway:

• Identity theft fuels everything from loan fraud to lifestyle crime

• Pandemic relief fraud remains a goldmine for organized criminals

• Social engineering and mail theft are still highly effective

• Flashy spending is often what finally gets fraudsters caught

• Online popularity does not equal legitimacy. Sometimes it is camouflage

Embezzled $80K From Nonprofit Bail Fund

The Intel:

A Greenville woman is accused of stealing more than $80,000 from a nonprofit designed to help people get out of jail. Talina Massey, an employee of the Craven County Community Bail Fund, is now facing three counts of embezzlement. The irony is hard to miss. A bail fund allegedly needed bail because of its own treasurer.

Why it matters:

Investigators say the missing money dates back to January of last year and took two months to untangle. Massey allegedly used her position inside the nonprofit to quietly siphon funds meant for nonviolent defendants seeking pretrial release. She was arrested, posted a $30,000 bond, and walked free while the investigation continues.

Detective’s Insight:

This is internal fraud in its most uncomfortable form. Trust-based organizations are prime targets because oversight is often light and roles overlap. When one person controls the books, the checkbook, and the reporting, the fraud usually runs longer than anyone wants to admit.

Takeaway:

• Nonprofits are not immune to embezzlement

• Mission-driven organizations often rely too heavily on trust

• Segregation of duties matters, even for good causes

• Fraud inside charities tends to surface late and hurt twice

• The optics of stealing from a bail fund will not help in court

CFPB Funding Fight, Round Whatever This Is Now

The Intel:

A federal judge just shut down another attempt to quietly starve the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau out of existence. The Trump administration argued it was legally barred from funding the CFPB. The judge called that argument exactly what it looked like. A workaround to do what the courts already told them they cannot do.

Why it matters:

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the administration’s refusal to fund the CFPB violates an existing court order blocking efforts to shut the agency down. The administration claimed the CFPB could not seek funds from the Federal Reserve due to a new legal interpretation. The judge called it “unsupported” and “transparent.”

The CFPB was created after the 2008 financial crisis to protect consumers from predatory lending, scams, and financial abuse. Supporters say weakening it leaves consumers exposed. Critics argue it is overreaching and anti-business. Either way, defunding it without Congress or court approval is not how the system works.

Detective Insights:

This is regulation by attrition. If you cannot fire everyone and cannot legally shut the doors, you drain the bank account and wait. From a fraud and consumer protection standpoint, agencies like the CFPB are often the first line of defense. When funding dries up, enforcement slows. Scammers and predatory actors tend to notice before consumers do.

Takeaway:

• Courts are not buying creative legal excuses

• Defunding an agency can be as effective as shutting it down

• Consumer protection often fails quietly, not dramatically

• Less oversight usually means more fraud, not less

• This fight is not over, it is just changing tactics

In need of education and training to fight back against fraud?

Fraud Hero exists for people and businesses who are tired of feeling unprepared in a world full of scams. We provide clear, real-world fraud education and training that shows how criminals actually operate, not just what to avoid. Our mission is simple. Equip you with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to Pause, Think, and Verify before fraud ever becomes your story.

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