Jasper County Sheriff Chuck Hubbard took a power cut tool to a local crypto ATM after his family was reportedly scamled from $25,000. Harvard said his office was notified of the fraud case when the investigation began around 5pm on June 16th.
Deputy Director Putia and Deputy Gray soon responded to the victim’s home and began gathering information. Harvard said officials discovered that their family was scamming from $20,000 at a location in Hardin County.
Crypto ATM scams surge in the US
The scammer is reported I’ve been fooled A Jasper County family, northwest of Houston, deposited local funds. Bitcoin Impersonate a civil servant and do an ATM. Puliam quickly traveled to Hardin County and found the place.
With support from Hardin County SO and the support of investigator Lampman, the county sheriff secured a search warrant and cut out ATMs believed to be operated by Bitcoin Depot. Harvard said it had recovered about $32,000, including the $25,000 the family paid to the scammers. Jasper County seized the money, but he revealed that they were still trying to find a con man.
Harvard also said the fraudulent caller told his family he was fined $25,000, instructed them to deposit their money at a Bitcoin address, and that the family used the Bitcoin ATM to transfer the funds.
“When thieves, low-refe and fraudsters try to take advantage of the citizens of Jasper County, we work quickly and use all resources at our disposal to protect our citizens and their property at every cost.”
– Jasper County Sheriff Chuck Hubbard.
He urged people to be vigilant to protect themselves from online scammers as investigations can be complicated and difficult to resolve. The sheriff’s department has yet to find the scammer’s place.
1 Reddit user Discussed The sheriff’s move appeared to have been a government official destroying the property of an innocent third party and stealing money. Users believe it’s pointless to cut off ATMs unless they’re the owner of a scam kiosk. He compared it to confiscating all the money from the CVS register after someone bought many gift cards to send to the scammer.
FBI It has been reported In April, there were around 11,000 complaints and lost over $246 million. Cryptographic ATM Scams in 2024 increased by 31% since 2023. The entity also points out that fraudsters are targeting older people, and two-thirds of the victims of crypto kiosk fraud are over 60 years old.
The FBI has revealed that most complaints about crypto ATM fraud have been received from California, Texas and Florida. Agency Director Kash Patel said reporting is one of the most important steps in fighting crime, so law enforcement can use information to combat a variety of fraud and fraud.
Spokane bans crypto ATMs
Spokane City Council confirmed Monday that it became Washington’s first city to ban digital asset ATMs after a unanimous vote. Who is councillor Paul Dillon? suggestion The measure said crypto ATMs have become a favourable tool for fraudsters seeking to fraudulent unsuspecting victims.
Dillon believes the ban will protect vulnerable Spokane residents from scams, including crypto kiosks. He also hopes that the measure will ban future items and remove existing kiosks. He pointed out that many people are in poor areas, convenience stores and grocery stores.
According to the ordinance, Spokane has seen a massive surge in fraud that arises from the use of cryptographic kiosks. dict order Added Kiosks scam others by providing tools to protect consumers from individuals who rely primarily on cryptocurrencies. Spokane City Council said it will track progress and report whether the ordinance will have a measurable impact on the frequency of reported offences involving crypto kiosks.
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