Texas Sheriffs Cut Open Bitcoin ATM, Recover $32,000 in Scam Probe

Texas law-enforcement officers cut open a Bitcoin Depot kiosk in Jasper County this week, retrieving about $31,900 in cash after a local family reported losing $25,000 to scammers who directed them to the machine. Sheriff Chuck Havard said investigators obtained a search warrant before using power tools to access the funds, adding that his department has cracked open similar machines in the past. Bitcoin ATMs let customers convert cash into cryptocurrency, but have become a favored channel for fraudsters who impersonate government officials or tech-support workers. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates Americans aged 60 and older lost $107 million through Bitcoin-ATM schemes last year. Bitcoin Depot, which operates more than 8,400 kiosks across North America, said it routinely cooperates with law-enforcement requests and relies on transaction-monitoring and know-your-customer controls. Authorities are still searching for the online perpetrators, while the recovered cash remains in evidence as the investigation continues.