Deborah Joy, a Port Orange convenience-store worker, intervened on behalf of an elderly couple who were about to deposit $10,000 into a Bitcoin machine and received a citizen award from the City Council at its meeting.

City officials said the couple had been convinced the transaction was legitimate until Joy alerted staff and called the Port Orange Police Department. A police officer accompanied the couple back to the bank and confirmed the transaction was an apparent cryptocurrency scam before any funds were lost.

Police officers noted that once cash is placed into a cryptocurrency kiosk it is effectively unrecoverable. Port Orange’s police chief told the council that scammers are increasingly successful and often operate from overseas. The chief cited large, national figures during remarks: "Last year alone, 2,600,000 fraud reports, ... over $12,000,000,000 in losses," and said the city is not immune.

Joy described why she stepped in. "I work at Circle K right on Dunlop ... I see this way too much. ... I couldn't let that happen," she said, describing customers and a line at the store as she stopped the transaction. Council members praised her vigilance; Councilman Foley said Joy's action was "what makes Port Orange special to me." The mayor and police also thanked her on the record.

Police and council members used the recognition to remind residents of basic safeguards: no federal, state, or local government agency — including the IRS or the City of Port Orange — will ask someone to pay a fine or bill in cryptocurrency or require purchase of gift cards to settle a government debt. City officials urged residents to call the agency named in a message to verify any requested payment.

The council presented a citizen-accommodation award to Deborah Joy during the meeting and publicly thanked her for intervening.