The post Spokane bans crypto kiosks amid surge in ATM scams appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

In a unanimous vote on Monday, the Spokane City Council approved an ordinance banning all crypto kiosks within city limits. The decision comes amid rising numbers in crypto ATM scams. Spokane is the first city in Washington state to enact such legislation. According to the Spokane Journal, there have been several reported crypto kiosks scams. Those kiosks are often located in gas stations, grocery stores, and convenience stores, where unsuspecting individuals are tricked into sending money via digital currencies. The machines resemble traditional ATMs but do not dispense cash; instead facilitate the buying and selling of virtual currencies like Bitcoin. Spokane council bans crypto kiosk over a surge in scams According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Americans lost approximately $5.6 billion in cryptocurrency kiosk-related fraud in 2023. In Washington state alone, victims lost a staggering $142 million. Citing these statistics, Spokane leaders have banned the digital currency kiosks “to protect residents from becoming easy targets.” “This ordinance will protect vulnerable Spokane residents from scams involving virtual currency kiosks, and I am proud we are the first city in the state to move this legislation forward,” Council Member Paul Dillon said in a statement. Dillon co-sponsored the ordinance alongside Council President Betsy Wilkerson. Detective Tim Schwering of the Spokane Police Department, who has investigated numerous cases tied to crypto ATM fraud, coined the term “crypto ATM fraud ” to describe the machines as tools that scammers use to exploit trust and urgency.  “They’re scamming people, saying that they need to move their money into cryptocurrency in order to protect it. And by the time the money is into the cryptocurrency, it’s already too late,” Schwering asserted. He mentioned that recovering the funds is nearly impossible once transferred overseas. Spokane’s new law could stop new machines from being installed and mandate…

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Filed under: News - @ June 18, 2025 10:26 am