Some Massachusetts cities ban Bitcoin ATMs, but is it enough to prevent scams?
December 22, 2025
CONCERNS THAT DOESN’T GO FAR ENOUGH. I GOT AN EMAIL TELLING ME THAT MY SAVINGS ACCOUNT WAS AT RISK, AND I HAD $15,000 IN THERE, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO WITHDRAW IT AND DEPOSIT IT IN A BITCOIN MACHINE, OR I WOULD LOSE IT COMPLETELY. IT’S A SCAM COSTING PEOPLE IN MASSACHUSETTS TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND I, LIKE AN IDIOT, BELIEVED THEM AND WENT TO A BITCOIN MACHINE AND DEPOSITED CLOSE TO $15,000. AND MOST VICTIMS NEVER GET THEIR MONEY BACK. I WOULD HAVE KEPT GOING HAD MY DAUGHTER NOT INTERVENED AND SAID, STOP, HANG UP THE PHONE. DON’T DO THIS. YOU’VE BEEN SCAMMED. NANCY LANHAM OF WALTHAM IS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES. I GOT ABOUT 10,000 OF THE 15,000 BACK, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING BECAUSE IT JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN. IT WASN’T EASY, BUT WALTHAM POLICE DETECTIVE MIKE MA MANAGED TO TRACK DOWN THE TRANSACTION. YOU’RE BASICALLY WATCHING FOR THE FUNDS TO MOVE FROM THE ADDRESS THAT THEY ARE FIRST RECEIVED IN TO ANOTHER ADDRESS, AND WE DON’T KNOW WHO OWNS THOSE ADDRESSES. TIMING WAS EVERYTHING. IN NANCY’S CASE. I JUST HAPPENED TO PICK UP MY CELL PHONE WITHIN LIKE TEN MINUTES OF THE ALERT COMING THAT THE THE MONEY HAD MOVED TO A NEW ADDRESS AND THAT WAS IN EXCHANGE. SO WE WERE REALLY LUCKY TO MAKE THAT SEIZURE. HOW UNUSUAL IS IT FOR SOMEONE LIKE NANCY TO GET HER MONEY BACK? OUT OF MAYBE THE 60 CASES THAT WE’VE HAD, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE’VE HAD MONEY GO BACK TO A VICTIM. SO IT TOOK ABOUT 18 MONTHS. THE BITCOIN ATM NANCY USED AT NEW WORLD GAS STATION ON MAIN STREET IS NOW GONE. AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED AN ORDINANCE BANNING THE MACHINES. WALTHAM, ONE OF TWO MASSACHUSETTS CITIES THAT HAVE BANNED BITCOIN ATMS. THE OTHERS GLOUCESTER. TO DATE, I CAN’T THINK OF A LEGITIMATE REASON THAT SOMEONE WOULD NEED OR WANT TO USE ONE OF THESE THINGS. SO IT SEEMED LIKE A NO BRAINER OPERATION THAT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE IN OUR CITY. GLOUCESTER CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY PASSED THE BITCOIN ATM BAN IN SEPTEMBER, THE SAME MONTH AS WALTHAM. MAYOR GREG VERGA SAYS HE HASN’T HEARD ANY COMPLAINTS FROM RESIDENTS ABOUT THE BAN. I HOPE IT BRINGS AWARENESS TO HOW EASILY PEOPLE CAN BE RIPPED OFF. DO YOU THINK BANNING THE MACHINES WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM? I THINK IF IT’S JUST A CITY OR TOWN DECISION, IT WILL PROBABLY PUSH THE PERSON TO SEND THEM TO ANOTHER CITY OR TOWN THAT HAS THE MACHINES. THIS IS CHASE. LET ME TALK TO THEM. OKAY. STOP PUTTING MONEY IN THERE. DETECTIVE MA IS WARNING EVERYONE TO BE ON ALERT FOR SCAM ARTISTS TARGETING YOU WITH A FALSE URGENCY RELATED TO A MONEY ISSUE. HE SAYS CHECK WITH A TRUSTED PERSON BEFORE WITHDRAWING MONEY FROM YOUR BANK AND DEPOSITING IT INTO A BITCOIN ATM. HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID? HOW COULD I HAVE FALLEN FOR THIS? THERE IS A BILL PENDING ON BEACON HILL THAT WOULD IMPLEMENT DAILY TRANSACTION LIMITS, REFUNDS FOR FRAUD VICTI
Some Massachusetts cities ban Bitcoin ATMs, but is it enough to prevent scams?
Waltham and Gloucester have banned the machines
Updated: 5:54 PM EST Dec 22, 2025
Massachusetts residents have lost tens of millions of dollars in Bitcoin ATM scams this year, and some cities have taken matters into their own hands to prevent further fraud. The Waltham City Council and the Gloucester City Council both passed ordinances banning the machines in September, and gas stations and convenience stores have since been removing the ATMs. Waltham resident Nancy Lannom fell victim to a Bitcoin ATM scam about two years ago after getting a strange email informing her that her savings account was at risk. The scammers convinced Lannom to withdraw $15,000 in cash from her bank and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM at a local gas station. “How could I be so stupid? How could I have fallen for this?” Lannom said. But she is one of the lucky ones. Lannom got most of her money back, a rare occurrence for victims of these scams.Waltham Police Detective Mike Maher tracked down the transaction just in time. “I just happened to pick up my cell phone within like 10 minutes of the alert coming that the money had moved to a new address, and that was an exchange. So we were really lucky to make that seizure,” Maher told 5 Investigates. Maher said he’s worked on about 60 cases like Lannom’s, and it’s the first time he’s gotten the money back to the victim. It took about 18 months.”I got about $10,000 of the $15,000 back, which is absolutely amazing because it just doesn’t happen,” Lannom said.Now that the machines are banned in Waltham, Maher said he worries scammers will just direct victims to neighboring cities and towns. He said a transaction cap would help prevent further scams. Bitcoin ATMs have also been banned in Gloucester, a decision that Mayor Greg Verga described as a “no brainer.””To date, I can’t think of a legitimate reason that someone would need or want to use one of these things,” Verga said.Lannom said they should be banned everywhere, “I think they’re dangerous, and I think that there’s too many people who don’t understand them like me, who do stupid things like I did.”A bill pending in the Massachusetts State House would implement daily transaction limits, fee caps and refunds for fraud victims.
Massachusetts residents have lost tens of millions of dollars in Bitcoin ATM scams this year, and some cities have taken matters into their own hands to prevent further fraud.
The Waltham City Council and the Gloucester City Council both passed ordinances banning the machines in September, and gas stations and convenience stores have since been removing the ATMs.
Waltham resident Nancy Lannom fell victim to a Bitcoin ATM scam about two years ago after getting a strange email informing her that her savings account was at risk.
The scammers convinced Lannom to withdraw $15,000 in cash from her bank and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM at a local gas station.
“How could I be so stupid? How could I have fallen for this?” Lannom said.
But she is one of the lucky ones. Lannom got most of her money back, a rare occurrence for victims of these scams.
Waltham Police Detective Mike Maher tracked down the transaction just in time.
“I just happened to pick up my cell phone within like 10 minutes of the alert coming that the money had moved to a new address, and that was an exchange. So we were really lucky to make that seizure,” Maher told 5 Investigates.
Maher said he’s worked on about 60 cases like Lannom’s, and it’s the first time he’s gotten the money back to the victim. It took about 18 months.
“I got about $10,000 of the $15,000 back, which is absolutely amazing because it just doesn’t happen,” Lannom said.
Now that the machines are banned in Waltham, Maher said he worries scammers will just direct victims to neighboring cities and towns. He said a transaction cap would help prevent further scams.
Bitcoin ATMs have also been banned in Gloucester, a decision that Mayor Greg Verga described as a “no brainer.”
“To date, I can’t think of a legitimate reason that someone would need or want to use one of these things,” Verga said.
Lannom said they should be banned everywhere, “I think they’re dangerous, and I think that there’s too many people who don’t understand them like me, who do stupid things like I did.”
A bill pending in the Massachusetts State House would implement daily transaction limits, fee caps and refunds for fraud victims.
Search
RECENT PRESS RELEASES
Related Post
