In 2025, scammers ripped off U.S. residents for over $333 million using crypto ATMs. This data comes from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Compared to previous years, the losses have shot up significantly: in 2024, it was around $250 million, in 2023 — $114 million, in 2022 — $78 million, and in 2021 — $33 million.
The FBI links the sharp increase in losses to the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies among the public. Today, in the US there are more than 45,000 crypto ATMs that allow people to quickly deposit cash and send funds to any digital wallet. The transaction takes just minutes, but after it is completed, it is practically impossible to get the money back—this is exactly what scammers are actively taking advantage of, increasingly demanding payment in cryptocurrency.
Amid a rise in the number of crimes, authorities are increasing pressure on crypto ATM operators. For example, in September, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against Athena Bitcoin, one of the largest operators in the country. In December, the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) of the state accused Coinme (Seattle) of violating money-transfer laws and unlawfully appropriating client funds totaling $8.3 million.
Also, the American Association of Retirees (AARP) called for stricter regulation of the industry. Among the proposals is the introduction of limits on the amounts users can deposit through crypto ATMs per day.
At present, at least 17 US states have already passed laws regulating the operation of crypto ATMs, and in a number of cities their installation is completely prohibited.
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