Police saws into Bitcoin ATM to recover $25,000, but innocent owner takes the hit

[Redaktion]

Sheriff Chuck Havard of Jasper County, Texas, announced on June 17, 2025, that the Sheriff's Office, with the support of Hardin County police, successfully cut open a Bitcoin ATM in Hardin County and recovered $31,900. This was done in response to a family's report of losing $25,000 to scammers.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Police-saws-into-Bitcoin-ATM-to-recover-25-000-but-innocent-owner-takes-the-hit.1041537.0.html

[Observing]

The police effectively vandalized private property, causing tens of thousands in losses to a completely innocent 3rd party.

Why not just contact the ATM owner and seize the machine/contents? Not like the cash is going anywhere.

[A]

The police effectively vandalized private property, causing tens of thousands in losses to a completely innocent 3rd party.

Why not just contact the ATM owner and seize the machine/contents? Not like the cash is going anywhere.

They aren't innocent, they are encouraging the bitcoin pyramid scheme which makes them no more different han accomplices.

[David1100]

Cryptocurrency itself is a scam, and I agree that the ATM owner is an accomplice in this incident. I'm very thankful to the police for helping innocent people who were scammed. If the police don't do anything, more and more people will be scammed by BTC (and this machine, and the owner of this machine, of course). Think of it as a man going to a brothel (a "BTC machine") and being tricked by a prostitute ("BTC"). The prostitute claims she's 20 in the ads, but she's in fact 50. He wants his money back but she and the brothel (BTC machine) refuse that. Then, the man calls the police, and the police shuts down the brothel (BTC machine), arrests the prostitute (BTC), and refunds the man (by cutting the BTC machine open). The guy who ran the brothel (the owner of the BTC machine) is also guilty in this case. He hired the prostitute (BTC) who claimed to be much younger than she really was (safe haven for personal finance? Or safe haven for Jeffrey Epstein's money laundering and other child/drug trafficking and all sorts of criminal activities?). By the way, do we really believe the brothel owner (BTC machine owner) doesn't know anything about prostitution (what cryptocurrency really is)???

The police effectively vandalized private property, causing tens of thousands in losses to a completely innocent 3rd party.

Why not just contact the ATM owner and seize the machine/contents? Not like the cash is going anywhere.

They aren't innocent, they are encouraging the bitcoin pyramid scheme which makes them no more different han accomplices.

[Observing]

The BTC ATM machine/company was presumably compliant with all local/regional laws and regulations.  Taking responsibility for people entering shady markets is not the responsibility of our Justice system to parent with sawing through moral justifications.  (Or, just make them illegal.  But you can't have it both ways: Legal and we can cut your machines when we feel like it, or illegal and we allow you to exist.)

People have personal responsibility in the choices they make.  BTC/ using an ATM also has many uses that aren't illicit or nefarious, and provide convenience.

Otherwise, ban (saw?) cash/bank ATMs.  Because people use cash/bank account ATMs for illegal purposes as well.