skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

US sues NY state officials over immigration enforcement; NM's national monuments face new development threats from Trump; NC community colleges get 'boost' to bring more students to high-demand jobs; Trump's resignation plan for federal workers can move forward; Advocates push for program to decrease wildlife collisions in VA.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Deregulation raises environmental and public health concerns, national monuments face potential risks, political neutrality in education sparks protests, and Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation fuels controversy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

Push to protect WA from crypto ATM scams

play audio
Play

Wednesday, January 8, 2025   

They may offer people a legitimate way to convert cash into cryptocurrency but crypto ATMs are also popular with scammers.

Washington had the highest rate of reported impostor scams in the country in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The Spokane City Council recently passed a resolution supporting more state regulations for the crypto ATMs, including limits on how much money can be withdrawn daily.

Det. Tim Schwering of the Spokane Police Department, said his office is receiving two or three calls a day about crypto ATM scams.

"$50,000 is very common in losses," Schwering pointed out. "You know, $100,000, $200,000 in losses, entire life savings wiped out from these types of scams."

Schwering noted most of the scams center around fake romantic relationships or bogus investment opportunities. He added most of the scammers are based in countries with no diplomatic relationships with the U.S. law enforcement. Even if he can find the money in countries like China, Russia or North Korea, he cannot get it back.

Schwering emphasized investment scams can be especially hard to recognize because scammers will allow victims to withdraw some money after making it look like their investment has grown on a fake website. Once victims feel secure they can withdraw their supposed "earnings," the con escalates. The FBI estimates Americans were robbed of close to $6 billion in 2023 through crypto-related scams.

"When you're making that kind of money, you can put money into building websites that are, they look like, legitimate investment websites," Schwering explained.

Schwering is working with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions on legislation to limit the amount of money someone can deposit into a crypto ATM to $1,000 a day. He said it will not solve the problem but could help mitigate the potential losses.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
With the inclusion of workforce certificates and certifications, Ohio's overall rate of educational attainment has increased by 18.1% since 2009. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

According to research from Lumina Foundation, the rate of U.S. high school seniors seeking higher education is on the upswing. Although Ohio student …


play sound

Lawmakers in Michigan have introduced a package of bills designed to lower costs and expand health care access. Senate Bill 3 would create a …

Health and Wellness

play sound

As winter drags on with a recent rare burst of snow across North Florida, many Floridians struggle with seasonal affective disorder. It is a form of …


Southern sea otters only inhabit about 13% of their former range and remain absent from the Oregon coast. (Dhayes/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

The push to reintroduce southern sea otters to greater sections of the California and Oregon coast is getting a big boost from a $1.56 million grant f…

Social Issues

play sound

By Nina B. Elkadi for Sentient.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service …

The Environmental Protection Agency said excess nitrogen and phosphorus cause an overgrowth of algae in lakes and if algal blooms occur, the toxins they produce can be harmful to human health and aquatic life. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Minnesota is giving its water quality standards a fresh look. With public input in their hands, officials are under pressure to add language about …

Social Issues

play sound

Nevada's only sitting Indigenous legislator has introduced a bill to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day on what she calls the "correct day," the second…

Environment

play sound

The Trump administration has started dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency's office dealing with reducing environmental harms to minority an…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021