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Scammers Are Targeting Texans; Older Adults Are Paying the Price

Cryptocurrency kiosk scams are rising. AARP Texas is fighting back. Sign our pledge to stop the fraud.

Mark Hollis,

AARP Texas

Published March 13, 2026

fish hook pulling a 50 dollar bill from a wallet

Getty Images

Fraud is rising fast in Texas, and criminals are increasingly turning to cryptocurrency kiosks, often called “crypto ATMs,” to carry out their scams.

These machines are appearing in everyday places like supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, bars, and restaurants. While they may look like traditional bank ATMs, they’ve become one of the most dangerous tools scammers use to steal money, particularly from older adults.

The impact is staggering. In 2024, the FBI received nearly 11,000 complaints involving cryptocurrency kiosks, with Americans reporting $246.7 million in stolen funds. Alarmingly, 85 percent of those losses were suffered by adults age 60 and older. In Texas alone, overall fraud losses reached $1.35 billion, with older Texans experiencing some of the sharpest increases.

These aren’t just statistics. They represent lost savings, financial stress, and lives disrupted in a matter of minutes.

How Crypto Kiosk Scams Work

Cryptocurrency kiosk scams often follow a familiar and frightening pattern. Criminals—frequently impersonating government agencies, law enforcement, or trusted businesses—convince individuals that they must resolve an urgent financial issue immediately.

Victims are instructed to withdraw large amounts of cash and deposit that money into a cryptocurrency kiosk. Once the cash is deposited, it is instantly transferred to a digital wallet controlled by the criminal. Unlike traditional bank transactions, these transfers are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reverse.

Because crypto kiosks operate outside many of the safeguards that apply to banks and other regulated money service businesses, scammers exploit them to move stolen money quickly and anonymously.

The Problem: Weak Protections, Growing Risks

Unlike banks and other financial institutions, crypto kiosks in Texas are not required to provide robust fraud warnings, transaction limits, or meaningful oversight. That makes them a prime tool for criminals who steal hundreds of millions of dollars from Americans each year.

While 17 states have already taken action to strengthen protections around crypto kiosks, Texas has yet to implement similar safeguards. Without action, older Texans remain especially vulnerable.

What AARP Is Doing

AARP is working nationwide, including here in Texas, to address this growing threat. We are educating people about the red flags of crypto kiosk scams, raising awareness about how these scams operate, and advocating for common‑sense consumer protections that deter criminals from leveraging cryptocurrency kiosks in their schemes.

“AARP Texas is building real, statewide momentum to protect consumers from cryptocurrency kiosk fraud,” said Andrea Earl, associate state director of advocacy and outreach at AARP Texas. “From grassroots outreach to legislative engagement, we’re mobilizing Texans across the state to demand stronger safeguards and ensure lawmakers understand the urgency of this growing threat.”

AARP Texas will continue fighting for stronger protections when lawmakers return to the Capitol next year. But meaningful policy change requires broad public support. That’s why we’re asking Texans to stand with us.

Add your name to help stop crypto ATM fraud in Texas. Signing the pledge sends a clear message that Texans expect stronger protections to prevent fraud before it happens.

Visit: https://action.aarp.org/secure/help-us-stop-crypto-atm-fraud-texas

Mark Hollis can be reached at mhollis@aarp.org or 512-574-3739.