AARP Wants Washington State to Ban Crypto ATMs Used in Scams

AARP Washington is asking state lawmakers to ban crypto ATMs across the state. The group says scammers use the machines to steal people's savings in a way that is fast and hard to trace. AARP says it will introduce a bill in 2027.

How the scam works

A crypto ATM looks like a bank ATM, but it is not connected to a bank. It turns cash into cryptocurrency, a kind of digital money. The machines often sit in gas stations, convenience stores, liquor stores and grocery stores.

In the scam, a caller tells the victim to withdraw cash and stay on the phone. The victim is sent to a kiosk and told to deposit the money into a "safe" or "protected" account. In fact, the money goes into a digital wallet the criminals control. AARP says that once the deposit is done, the money is almost always gone for good.

The steps in the alert box above cover what to do if someone calls with this kind of request.

What is not known yet

This is a proposal, not a law. Several Washington communities have already banned the machines, but a statewide ban has not been passed. The material does not say what the bill will contain, whether lawmakers will support it, or how many people have lost money. Until something changes, the machines stay in place, so the safest defense is knowing the pattern: any caller who sends you to a crypto machine is a scammer.