<ul data-eligibleForWebStory="true">Authorities in Spokane City, Washington, have imposed a ban on crypto ATMs due to a surge in crypto crimes.The Spokane City Council unanimously voted to remove all crypto ATMs from the city within the next 60 days.The decision to ban crypto ATMs was driven by an increase in scams targeting residents of Spokane.Council members introduced an ordinance titled 'Virtual Currency Kiosk Prohibition for a Safer Spokane' to address rising crypto crimes.The Spokane Police Department will ensure compliance with the ban and monitor its impact on scam-related crime rates.Operators failing to remove the kiosks within 60 days may face penalties, including license revocation.Spokane currently has over 40 crypto ATMs, as per data from Coin ATM Radar.Scammers impersonated law enforcement officers to coerce victims of crypto fraud related to these kiosks.The FBI reported over 11,000 cases of ATM crypto crimes in the US in 2024, with victims primarily being over 60 years old.States like North Dakota and Nebraska are implementing regulations to combat crypto kiosk-related scams.North Dakota's House Bill 1447 proposes a $2000 daily transaction cap and mandatory use of blockchain analytics by ATM operators.Nebraska's Controllable Electronic Record Fraud Prevention Act enforces licensing for ATM operators and provides full refunds to fraud victims.Authorities aim to protect vulnerable residents from cryptocurrency scams through the ban on crypto ATMs.The ongoing trend of banning crypto kiosks in various US states reflects the increasing severity of crypto-related crimes.The ban in Spokane is the city's effort to safeguard residents from exploitation by scammers through crypto ATMs.