Signage for Bitcoin cryptocurrency on a cryptocurrency ATM, operated by Coinhero, in Hong Kong, China, on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. Source: Getty Images
Framingham, an affluent city in Massachusetts, recently introduced a sweeping ban on crypto ATMs in the face of scams.
According to Census Reporter, the city’s median household income of $110,159 dwarfed the national median household income of $81,604 in 2024.
While 35% of Framingham’s households had an income range of $100,000-$200,000, 19% of the households earned over $200,000 as of 2024.
But the city’s residents reported losing money to crypto ATM scams for the last few years, forcing the council to ban these machines.
A crypto ATM is a kiosk where a user can buy Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP, etc., with cash or a credit card. Some ATMs even let users send crypto from their wallet to the machine’s address to receive physical cash.
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After residents in Framingham reported losing $397,000 to scams related to these ATMs since 2023, the City Council voted unanimously to ban these machines from operating in the city, MetroWest Daily News reported on Nov. 9.
The move aims to protect the city’s residents, especially senior citizens, non-English speakers, and lower-income people, from financial fraud.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan told councilors that many of these scams never got reported because victims feel embarrassed.
"What's incredibly important about this is that there's no way to get access to it, even in those cases where we are able to successfully prosecute who may have been the scammer. We can't access the wallet that will be holding the money. Often that wallet is actually outside of the United States," she said. "There's really no good reason for these machines to be scattered around the city."
After District 3 Councilor Mary Kate Feeney first introduced the ban proposal in October, the rules, ordinances and ethics subcommittee approved it. At the Nov. 5 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved the proposal to ban crypto ATMs from operating in the city.
Framingham Police Department also supported the ban. Detective Sean Wilson said his professional experience has given him firsthand insight into the financial harm caused by these scams and the challenges victims face in attempting to recover their money.
District 4 Councilor Michael Cannon said he would eventually like to see a statewide ban on crypto ATMs because scammers can simply move to another community that hasn’t banned these machines.
"When it's a scam-related type ban, it gives the municipality comfort that we've looked out for our seniors, we've done that," he said. "But the criminals have moved on to other technologies, they've got other ways. So we have to stay vigilant."
Framingham joins 22 other Massachusetts communities, including Burlington, Haverhill, Waltham, and Wayland, that have banned crypto ATMs.
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