INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A county sheriff in Texas has taken a power-cutting tool to a local crypto ATM after a family was reportedly scammed out of $25,000,
sparking debate among crypto users over the sense of his actions.According to local reports on Tuesday, a scammer had tricked a family in
Jasper County, northwest of Houston, into depositing funds at a local Bitcoin (BTC) ATM by impersonating a government employee.Jasper County
Sheriff Chuck Havard secured a search warrant and cut open the ATM, which photos show was branded as being operated by Bitcoin Depot, to
recoup approximately $32,000, including the $25,000 the family paid to the scammers.The police officers used machinery to cut open the
Source: KDFMHavard claimed that the scam caller told the family they owed $25,000 in fines and instructed them to deposit the money into a
Bitcoin address, with the family then using the Bitcoin ATM to transfer the funds.Bitcoin Depot was contacted for comment on the
advantage of the citizens of Jasper County, we will work swiftly and utilize every resource at our disposal to protect our citizens and
crypto ATMs across the US and abroad.Related: US DOJ files to seize $225M in crypto tied to pig butchering schemesOn June 18, Spokane, the
second-largest city in Washington state, banned crypto ATMs in response to a surge in scam activity targeting local residents.The FBI
reported in April that there were almost 11,000 complaints and over $246 million in losses associated with crypto ATM scams in 2024, a 31%
