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Scam Victim's $25,000 Recovered After Texas Sheriff Cuts Into Bitcoin ATM
Last Updated: June 20, 2025
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Key Takeaways
- A Texas sheriff cut open a Bitcoin ATM to retrieve $25,000, a family lost in a government impersonation scam;
- The action raised debate over whether seizing cash from the machine operator was justified;
- The scammer remains unidentified, and officials say crypto-related cases are difficult to solve.
A local sheriff in Jasper County, Texas, used a cutting tool to open a Bitcoin
A report by KFDM on June 17 explained that the family was contacted by someone posing as a government worker. The caller informed them that they owed a large amount in fines and needed to pay through Bitcoin.
Following the instructions, the family deposited the money at a nearby machine operated by Bitcoin Depot.
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After hearing the report, Sheriff Chuck Havard got a warrant, opened the machine, and recovered around $32,000 in cash. This included the $25,000 the family had sent, as well as additional money from other deposits still in the ATM.
The incident has raised concerns about whether the action was appropriate and if the kiosk operator was treated fairly.
A Reddit user questioned whether officials had taken money from someone who had no connection to the scam. Another compared it to seizing a store’s cash register just because a scam victim used it to buy gift cards.
Sheriff Havard stated that his team would use all available tools to protect residents and their property. He also noted that crimes involving digital currency can be hard to investigate. So far, the person who tricked the family has not been found.
Meanwhile, Spokane, Washington’s second-largest city, recently decided to ban all crypto ATMs. Why? Read the full story.
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