A woman in her 90s was standing at a Bitcoin kiosk with $10,000 in cash while talking to someone on her cellphone when a Wilmington police officer realized something was wrong.
The woman, identified by police as Mrs. Nunley, believed she was dealing with a legitimate technical support company. Instead, police say scammers had instructed her to withdraw the cash and feed it into the cryptocurrency machine.
Officer Morrison encountered Nunley while conducting a routine business check at a gas station and intervened before the transaction went through. She handed him the phone, and he spoke directly with the people trying to get her money.
Weeks later, Morrison and Nunley met again under much different circumstances. WCTI reported that the officer visited her home on Aug. 20 for a reunion after helping prevent her from losing $10,000.
She Had $10,000 in Cash and Was Standing at a Bitcoin Machine
The scam nearly succeeded on July 27, when Morrison entered a Wilmington gas station during a routine business check. He noticed Nunley, who is in her 90s, at a Bitcoin kiosk with $10,000 in cash while talking on her cellphone.
The combination immediately raised concerns that she was being directed through a cryptocurrency payment scam. Morrison intervened and asked her to stop putting money into the machine. Nunley handed him her phone, allowing the officer to speak directly with the people on the other end.
The Wilmington Police Department said Morrison’s intervention stopped the transaction from going through, preventing Nunley from losing the $10,000.
Nunley believed the people directing her were representatives of a legitimate technical support company. They had instructed her to withdraw the cash and deposit it into the Bitcoin kiosk, according to police.
The Officer and Woman Met Again Weeks Later
Wilmington police shared photographs from the visit and described it as a special moment between the officer and the woman whose money he had helped protect. The department said more video and information about Nunley’s story would be released.
Police also used the case to warn about unexpected requests for payment through cryptocurrency, gift cards and other difficult-to-recover methods. Scammers may pose as technical support companies, government agencies or financial institutions while creating an urgent reason that supposedly requires the victim to move money.
The threat is particularly significant for older consumers. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report recorded 6,188 cryptocurrency ATM or kiosk complaints from people 60 and older, with reported losses exceeding $257 million.
If Someone Sends You to a Bitcoin Kiosk to Fix a Problem, Stop
The FTC warns that a legitimate business or government agency will not instruct someone to use a Bitcoin ATM to protect money, resolve suspicious account activity or fix a technical problem.
Do not scan a QR code supplied by the caller or follow step-by-step instructions while remaining on the phone. The code can identify the scammer’s cryptocurrency wallet, meaning money deposited into the kiosk may be sent directly to the criminal rather than placed somewhere for safekeeping.
Instead, end the conversation. If the caller claims there is a problem with a bank, technology account or other service, contact that organization independently through a number, website or app known to be legitimate. Do not use contact information supplied by the person who initiated the conversation.
Someone who is already at a cryptocurrency kiosk but has not completed the transaction should stop before depositing additional cash. If any money has already been transferred, contact the kiosk operator and law enforcement immediately and preserve the receipt, wallet address, QR code, phone number, messages and any other transaction information. Consumers can also report cryptocurrency and impersonation scams through the FTC’s ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.