The post Sheriff uses power-cutting tool to recover funds from crypto ATM appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Jasper County Sheriff Chuck Havard took a power-cutting tool to a local crypto ATM after a family was reportedly scammed out of $25,000. Harvard said the investigation began at about 5 p.m. on June 16, when his office was notified of the scamming incident. Deputy Pulliam and Deputy Gray immediately responded to the victim’s home and began gathering information. Harvard said the officers discovered the family was scammed out of $25K at a location in Hardin County. Crypto ATM scams surge in the U.S. A scammer allegedly tricked a family in Jasper County, northwest of Houston, into depositing funds at a local Bitcoin ATM by impersonating a government employee. Pulliam immediately traveled to Hardin County and found the location. With Hardin County S.O.’s assistance and Investigator Lampman’s assistance, the county sheriff secured a search warrant and cut open the ATM believed to be operated by Bitcoin Depot. Harvard said he recouped approximately $32,000, including the $25,000 the family paid the scammers. Although Jasper County S.O. seized the money, he revealed that they’re still trying to locate the scammers. Harvard also noted 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. “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.” -Chuck Havard, Sheriff at Jasper County. He urged people to be vigilant to protect themselves from online scammers because the investigations can be complex and difficult to solve. The sheriff’s department has yet to locate the whereabouts of the scammer. One Reddit user argued that the Sheriff’s move…

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Filed under: News - @ June 20, 2025 10:25 am