Texas police use chainsaw to open Bitcoin ATM, recover nearly $32,000 from fraud

A rare incident recently occurred in Jasper County (#Texas , USA) when local police used a chainsaw to break open a Bitcoin ATM to recover $31,900 in cash taken by a fraudster. The victim was a family that reported losing $25,000 through a transaction with a Bitcoin Depot ATM located at a rural gas station.

Images released by the Jasper Sheriff's Office show sparks flying from the cutting process, alongside bags of evidence filled with cash. Police stated that they had a legal search warrant and confirmed they had previously handled similar cases.

Bitcoin ATMs are often exploited by criminals to defraud the elderly. According to an FBI report, in 2024, Americans over 60 have been defrauded of up to $107 million through Bitcoin ATMs, primarily by individuals impersonating government officials or technical support technicians.

Bitcoin Depot – the operator of the ATM – stated that they have a compliance team, transaction monitoring system, and anti-money laundering policy, but typically only cooperate in investigations through receiving wallets or exchanges, rather than intervening directly with the machines.

Jasper police declared they would “use all necessary measures to protect property and citizens,” although they have not yet identified the individuals behind the fraud.