Texas Sheriff Cuts Open Bitcoin ATM to Recover Scam Victim’s Funds

A Texas county sheriff has drawn national attention — and controversy — after taking a power saw to a local Bitcoin ATM in an effort to recover $25,000 from a family targeted by scammers. The incident occurred in Jasper County, northwest of Houston, where authorities say the family had been duped into depositing funds into a Bitcoin address controlled by a fraudster posing as a government official. According to reports on Tuesday, Jasper County Sheriff Chuck Havard obtained a search warrant and physically cut open the Bitcoin ATM — operated by Bitcoin Depot — to retrieve approximately $32,000, including the family’s lost $25,000. Sheriff Havard said the fraudster claimed the family owed fines and directed them to pay through the ATM, which they promptly did. Bitcoin Depot, the company that owns the kiosk, has been contacted for comment but has not yet issued a public statement regarding the property damage or the seized funds. Online Reactions Split Over Sheriff The sheriff’s actions have sparked intense debate in the crypto community. Many users on Reddit questioned the legality and logic of targeting the ATM rather than pursuing the scammer. One user likened the move to “confiscating all the money from a CVS register after someone bought a bunch of gift cards to send to scammers.” Another commenter questioned whether law enforcement had destroyed “an innocent third party’s property and stole his money.” Despite the criticism, Sheriff Havard defended the decision, stating, “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.” Crypto ATM Sector Faces Rising Scrutiny Havard acknowledged that tracking down crypto scammers remains difficult, as the fraudulent party has yet to be located. The incident comes at a time when crypto ATMs are under growing scrutiny nationwide due to their rising involvement in scams. On June 18, Spokane, Washington banned crypto ATMs entirely, citing a spike in local fraud cases. Meanwhile, the FBI reported in April that 2024 has already seen nearly 11,000 crypto ATM scam complaints, totaling over $246 million in losses — a 31% increase from 2023. In Australia, regulators recently capped ATM cash transactions at 5,000 AUD ($3,250) to curb abuse. The post Texas Sheriff Cuts Open Bitcoin ATM to Recover Scam Victim’s Funds appeared first on TheCoinrise.com .

Source: The Coin Rise