Authorities saw open Bitcoin ATM to recover scammed money — almost $32,000 seized from machine
The Sheriff in Jasper County, Texas, located a little over 100 miles northeast of Houston, used a circular saw to break into a Bitcoin ATM after determining it was used for fraud.
According to a Facebook post from the Sheriff's office, a county constituent was defrauded of $25,000 on a crypto scam, which they deposited into the machine. After securing the necessary warrants, the investigators broke open the Bitcoin ATM and seized $31,900 found inside it.
Many elderly Americans are being targeted by online scammers. Fraudsters primarily use cash gift cards to circumvent the protections many financial institutions have in place to prevent activities like these. However, the advent of crypto ATMs, like the Bitcoin Depot ATM used in this incident, has made it cheaper and easier for perpetrators to access their stolen funds.
The decentralized and anonymized nature of cryptocurrency has made it more difficult for the authorities to trace these transactions, and its global availability means that cross-border transactions do not require identification. According to the FBI, elderly Americans lost $107 million in scams in 2024 through crypto ATMs.
Unfortunately, Bitcoin Depot seems to be a victim of this scam. After all, it converts cash to Bitcoin and only acts as a money transmitter or money services business. It also claims to proactively employ robust compliance, AML, and KYC protocols. That means the company and its franchisee, if the affected machine is owned by one, are on the hook (at least for now) for the damaged ATM and the seized contents.
Bitcoin Depot told Decrypt that it 'regularly collaborates with investigators to clarify when recovery may be possible' and 'such efforts typically involve the receiving wallet provider or exchange, not the kiosk itself.' They also said, 'We actively support and educate law enforcement agencies, particularly those less familiar with cryptocurrencies.
Even though the authorities have already recovered the cash from the ATM, it doesn't mean the victim will get their money back. They must first go through legal means so that the authorities can issue an order to seize the stolen funds. From there, their only hope is that the attacker made a mistake and used an exchange that cooperates with the authorities.
Nevertheless, it's not impossible—for example, the U.S. Department of Justice recovered $2.3 million in Bitcoin paid as ransom in the Colonial Pipeline attack. Still, it will be a harrowing journey for the victims to reclaim their money—if they're able to recover it at all.
Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Iranian hackers threaten to release treasure trove of White House emails
A group of Iranian-linked hackers threatened to leak emails they claim to have stolen from key White House officials and advisers on Monday, the latest iteration in the cybersecurity battle. Months after distributing material stolen from President Donald Trump's campaign, the group of hackers informed Reuters that they had roughly 100 gigabytes of emails from accounts belonging to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan, Trump adviser Roger Stone, and adult film star Stormy Daniels. The group, which goes by the name 'Robert,' did not disclose details of the emails to Reuters but said they were considering selling the materials. The hacking disclosure arrived shortly after the Trump administration issued a warning to people about the potential for cyberattacks against critical infrastructure by Iranian state-sponsored or affiliated groups. The White House and FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that it 'takes all threats against the president, his staff, and our cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness' and that it was a 'top priority' to safeguard the administration's ability to execute the president's mission. 'Anyone associated with any kind of breach of national security will be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' Patel said in the statement. In recent years, the U.S. has experienced similar cyberattacks from foreign-linked hacking groups. Last year, Chinese-affiliated hackers tried to target data from Trump and Vice President JD Vance's phones while the 'Robert' group released a trove of emails obtained from the Trump campaign to reporters, including some from Stone. 'This so-called 'cyber attack' is nothing more than digital propaganda, and the targets are no coincidence,' Marci McCarthy, the director of public affairs for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said in a statement. 'This is a calculated smear campaign meant to damage President Trump and discredit honorable public servants who serve our country with distinction. These criminals will be found and they will be brought to justice. Let this be a warning to others, there will be no refuge, tolerance, or leniency for these actions,' McCarthy added. Tensions between Iran and the U.S. have mounted recently after Trump ordered missile strikes on nuclear facilities in the country, raising the threat of cyber attacks. Officials have also warned that groups supportive or affiliated with Tehran may seek to disrupt critical infrastructure systems, defense contractors, or other American companies with ties to Israel.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
One woman dead, man injured in suspected domestic stabbing incident in Brockton
One woman died in a suspected domestic stabbing incident that also injured a man in Brockton in the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 1, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office wrote in a post on X. The incident occurred at an apartment complex on Centre Street at approximately 4:10 a.m., according to Brockton Police. The man, who was also stabbed, was transported to a Boston hospital and is expected to survive, the DA's office wrote. Brockton and State Police Detectives from the Plymouth County District Attorney's office were on the scene this morning investigating the incident. The DA's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment at the time of this article's publication. Another fatal stabbing in past few days 'Tragic': New details revealed in court of fatal stabbing inside Middleboro home This article will be updated as more information becomes available. (This story was updated to add a photo gallery.) This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Fatal stabbing in Brockton, woman dead, man injured. What we know
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Long Island County Announces Increased Shark Patrols and Safety Measures Following Suspected Shark Bite
A county in Long Island, N.Y. is ramping up security measures to protect beachgoers from sharks and other risks in the ocean After a suspected shark bite incident took place at a Long Island beach on June 25, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman held a press conference on June 30 to announce increased patrols of the waters The safety measures will help identify sharks and other dangers such as riptidesAfter a suspected shark bite occurred on Long Island, N.Y., local executives are ramping up safety measures to keep beachgoers safe this summer. They even put on a demonstration to show how secure they feel in the waters. On Monday, June 30, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman held a press conference at Nickerson Beach in Lido Point to announce plans for patrols by air and sea to watch out for sharks. To prove that he felt safe, he even took a dip in the ocean for the cameras. Blakeman was joined at the press conference by County Parks Commissioner Darcy Belyea and County Police officials, according to News 12 Long Island. 'We will have our helicopters out. We will have drones out. We will have our beach patrols out. The lifeguards will be out. We will do everything to keep you safe. We'll have boats on the water,' Blakeman said, via local outlet 'There are sharks in the water,' he added, via the New York Post. 'We are increasing our patrols this summer on the oceans as we do every summer, but we're putting up more drones than we have before, keeping our helicopters in the air longer, and our boats on the water longer.' Increased safety measures come after a 20-year-old woman was bitten by what experts believe was a young sand tiger shark while visiting Jones Beach, according to News 12. The incident took place on June 25 and left the woman with "minor cuts to her left leg and foot." Officials were unable to locate the shark in the waters after the incident. Blakeman addressed the situation and his safety measures via a statement on Facebook. "Following a recent shark bite incident at Jones Beach, I announced increased patrols by our outstanding Nassau County Police Department Marine & Aviation units to keep everyone safe," he wrote. "Our waters are not only safe — they're beautiful! Took my first dip of the season today and it was fantastic. Come enjoy all that Nassau County's shores have to offer!" Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The patrols will also help identify other seaside risks such as riptides, which Blakeman also warned beachgoers to be aware of while in the waters. 'Rip currents will pull you out to sea and can sweep you away, even if you're a strong and experienced swimmer,' he said, urging anyone stuck in one to seek help from a lifeguard. 'They will come out to assist you. Raise your hand, wave your hand if you're in trouble, but do not try to fight the rip current. That will not help you.' Read the original article on People
