Delaware and New Jersey each advanced bills this week to ban cryptocurrency ATMs statewide, citing mounting scam losses that have overwhelmingly hit older residents.
Delaware's House Bill 441 cleared the House Economic Development Committee on Monday after Rep. Cyndie Romer, Chair of the House Technology and Telecommunications Committee, told WBOC that the machines amount to "a predatory cash grab." The bill, co-sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, would require every existing kiosk to go dark immediately upon enactment and be physically removed within 90 days. In New Jersey, Senate Bill S-2141 cleared the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously Monday and now heads to the full chamber, the Jersey Vindicator reported.
Delaware lawmakers cited more than $26 million in state ATM-related scam losses last year. New Jersey's bill sponsor, Sen. Paul Moriarty, cited FBI data showing 369 New Jersey victims lost roughly $18 million during the same period. Nationwide, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded 13,400 complaints tied to crypto ATM scams in 2025, with losses topping $388 million, a 58% increase over the prior year.
The typical fraud follows a documented pattern: a scammer impersonates a government official, bank representative, or law enforcement officer, creates a sense of urgency, and directs the victim to deposit cash at a nearby kiosk. Crypto transactions are irreversible, recovery is rare, and more than half of all national crypto ATM fraud complaints involve victims over 60, according to FBI data cited at the hearing.
