Texas Sheriffs Crack Bitcoin ATM with Power Tools to Retrieve $32,000

Summary

In brief Texas sheriffs used power tools this week in retrieving $32,000 from a Bitcoin ATM. Images show stacks of hundred dollar bills, evidence bags, and a gas station on a rural road. Americans over 60 years old reported $107 million in Bitcoin ATM-related losses, according to an annual FBI report. Texas sheriffs used power tools this week in retrieving $32,000 from a Bitcoin ATM after a Jasper County family said they were scammed out of funds, according to local law enforcement. The family said it had lost $25,000 to the fraudsters.An image shared by the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook shows sparks flying as an official uses what appears to be a circular saw to crack into a Bitcoin Depot kiosk. Other images show stacks of hundred dollar bills, evidence bags, and a gas station on a rural road.Jasper County Sheriff Chuck Havard told Decrypt that he’s “quite certain our boys have gotten into them before” but declined to comment on whether it was the first time that authorities had used force to retrieve funds from machines that are frequently used by scammers.“Do not give any personal information out to anybody that claims to be a law enforcement agency or a government entity, unless you verify the validity of that,” Havard said.Crypto ATMs allow people to convert cash into Bitcoin, and in 2024, Americans over 60 years old reported $107 million in Bitcoin ATM-related losses, according to an annual FBI report. Criminals often impersonate tech support workers or government employees, the FBI found.“When thieves, low-lifes and scammers attempt to take advantage of the citizens of Jasper County, we will work swiftly and utilize every resource at our disposal to protect our citizens and their property at all costs,” the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said in the post.Bitcoin Depot says that over a dozen compliance personnel, alongside “robust transaction monitoring systems,” as well as know-your-customer and anti-money-laundering programs, according to a shar...