Fort Myers officials target cryptocurrency ATM scams preying on seniors

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Fort Myers officials are taking motion in opposition to a rising wave of cryptocurrency scams concentrating on susceptible residents, notably seniors, by means of crypto ATMs throughout town.

As your Fort Myers Neighborhood Correspondent, I do know we’ve got a little bit over 30 cryptocurrency machines in our metropolis, in response to our police division. Officials are involved concerning the rising variety of cryptocurrency scams within the metropolis.

Watch Fort Myers Neighborhood Correspondent Miyoshi Value’s report:

Fort Myers officials target cryptocurrency ATM scams preying on seniors

“It is really easy to confuse them for a typical ATM machine,” mentioned Darla Bonk, Ward 6 Councilwoman for the Metropolis of Fort Myers.

Town is exploring numerous proactive measures, akin to signage and licensing necessities, to fight these kind of crimes which have already claimed victims in the neighborhood.

Bonk is aware of at the very least two individuals who fell sufferer to cryptocurrency machine scams in her ward.

“These persons are, sadly, placing tens of hundreds of {dollars} in there, $100 payments at a time, not realizing that when that crypto cash is shipped, it is gone,” Bonk mentioned.

The Fort Myers Metropolis Council is working to guard residents and forestall additional monetary loss.

“Up till three weeks in the past, I do not even know that I knew there have been all these crypto ATMs in our yard. So now, understanding a little bit bit extra, how can we educate the group, first about what is occurring in our backyards, and in addition methods to establish these machines,” Bonk mentioned.

Fort Myers Police Chief Jason Fields expressed concern concerning the rising variety of circumstances.

“Investigations are rising, and it is alarming to us,” Fields mentioned.

Based on Fields, scammers sometimes target seniors by means of misleading messages.

“Normally getting textual content messages on their telephones about some kind of possibly arrest warrant that’s out for them. They should clear one thing within the courtroom system, or they’ve an unpaid toll, so it preys on them,” Fields mentioned.

Bonk acknowledged that laws hasn’t caught up with this kind of crime, however the metropolis is actively growing protecting measures.

“Full ban, if that is doable, if not, at the very least making residents conscious that that is occurring, and the truth that this occurring proper beneath our noses,” Bonk mentioned.

AARP can be becoming a member of the struggle in opposition to these scams, advocating for state legal guidelines that regulate crypto kiosks and safeguard customers.

Since January 2024, AARP has helped introduce payments in eight state legislatures. These payments, if handed, would implement lots of AARP’s skilled suggestions to guard older adults, together with each day transaction limits, state operator license necessities, rip-off warnings, refund choices for losses because of fraud, and different protecting measures.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been transformed to this platform with the help of AI. Our editorial staff verifies all reporting on all platforms for equity and accuracy.