Insert Coin to Be Deceived

—a satire in verse

In a strip mall aglow with despair, Stood a kiosk with digital flair. “Invest in your fate!” said the screen, With a glow that was oddly serene.

A widow approached, purse in hand, Guided by “tech support” on demand. “Your grandson’s in jail,” came the lie— “Just send Bitcoin, or he might die.”

She tapped and she scanned with a frown, As her savings all trickled down. The machine gave no beep of regret, Just a blockchain receipt and a threat.

Behind tinted glass in D.C., A lobbyist sipped herbal tea. “Regulation?” he scoffed with a grin, “That’s bad for the markets we’re in.”

The cops shrugged and filed a report, “Too complex, and the trail’s too short.” While the scammers, offshore and amused, Counted coins from the folks they’d abused.

A preacher, a vet, a retiree— All fed the machine faithfully. It blinked like a slot in disguise, Dispensing no truth, just goodbyes.

So beware of the ATM’s glow, Where your dollars and trust freely go. For in crypto’s lawless bazaar, The conman, he drives a new car.

(Poem inspired by this article: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/personalfinance/bitcoin-atms-increasingly-used-by-scammers-to-target-victims-critics-say/ar-AA1O8JfQ?ocid=BingNewsVerp)