safety
Crypto kiosks were used to scam $56 million from Texans last year. Lawmakers are calling for regulation.
By Texas Tribune, Ayden Runnels at KSAT 12 (ABC) - San Antonio News
· July 8, 2026
· 11 min read
Maria was standing in front of a cryptocurrency ATM, $5,000 in hand and a moment away from being scammed.Fabricated court documents, supposedly sent by text from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, threatened the 72-year-old with arrest if she didn’t feed the money into the “crypto kiosk” at a gr...
Key takeaway Fabricated court documents, supposedly sent by text from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, threatened the 72-year-old with arrest if she didn’t feed the money into the “crypto kiosk” at a grocery store.
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Original reporting by KSAT 12 (ABC) - San Antonio News . Alamo Heights News surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
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Category: safety ·
Published: July 8, 2026 ·
Source: KSAT 12 (ABC) - San Antonio News ·
Reading time: 11 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Maria was standing in front of a cryptocurrency ATM, $5,000 in hand and a moment away from being scammed.Fabricated court documents, supposedly sent by text from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, threatened the 72-year-old with arrest if she didn’t feed the money into the “crypto kiosk” at a gr...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 8, 2026 by KSAT 12 (ABC) - San Antonio News and curated for Alamo Heights News readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Texas Tribune, Ayden Runnels at KSAT 12 (ABC) - San Antonio News. To learn more about how Alamo Heights News selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more safety coverage from Alamo Heights News, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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