Texas Sheriff Pushes for Statewide Ban on Bitcoin ATMs Amid Scam Concerns

East Texas Sheriff Larry Smith has been sounding the alarm on Bitcoin ATM scams, and his efforts have led to a push for a statewide ban in Texas. In May, an elderly woman was scammed out of $13,000 by an inmate using a cryptocurrency kiosk in Georgia.

Smith met with state leaders earlier this week to discuss the rise in financial crimes involving cash-to-crypto terminals. Representatives from Sen. Bryan Hughes' office, State Rep. Cole Hefner and his staff, and State Rep. Daniel Alders and his staff were among those in attendance.

The law enforcement officials included officials from the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center and the Smith County Sheriff's Office. While there is no official word on what was accomplished at the meeting, it appears those in attendance agreed that these machines are being used to defraud people and help launder money.