Texas Sheriffs Crack Bitcoin ATM With Power Tools to Retrieve $32,000
Texas sheriffs retrieved $31,900 from a Bitcoin ATM after a Jasper County family reported being scammed out of $25,000. Law enforcement used power tools, including a circular saw, to access the Bitcoin Depot kiosk. Sheriff Chuck Havard emphasized the importance of verifying the identity of anyone claiming to be from law enforcement before sharing personal information. In 2024, Americans over 60 reported $107 million in losses related to Bitcoin ATMs, with scammers often impersonating tech support or government officials. Bitcoin Depot claims to have robust compliance measures and has facilitated $3 billion in transactions across 8,400 kiosks. Local authorities obtained a search warrant before recovering the funds and are still pursuing the scammers online.
