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Washington’s second-biggest city, Spokane, bans crypto ATMs

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1 year ago

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Washington’s second-biggest city, Spokane, bans crypto ATMs


Spokane, the second-largest city in the US state of Washington, has banned crypto ATMs to fight rising scam activity targeting the city’s residents.

Spokane City Council said on Monday that it became the first city in Washington to ban cryptocurrency ATMs following a unanimous vote.

The measure was proposed by Council member Paul Dillon, who helped to put forward the ban, said that crypto ATMs “have become a preferred tool for scammers looking to defraud unsuspecting victims,” and the ban would “protect vulnerable Spokane residents from scams involving virtual currency kiosks.”

Dillon told local newspaper The Spokesman-Review that the measure “will ban future ones, as well as remove existing kiosks. We see a lot located in poor neighborhoods, convenience stores, grocery stores.”

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According to the ordinance, the city of Spokane has seen a “significant increase in scams arising from the use of cryptocurrency kiosks, and there has been a steady increase in victims losing thousands of dollars.”

The edict added that it provides a tool “to protect consumers from those individuals who rely primarily on virtual currency to defraud others.”

Ordinance on crypto kiosk prohibition. Source: Spokane City Council 

Monitoring the impact

Crypto ATM operators have 60 days to remove dozens of kiosks citywide or face civil infractions and business license revocation.

On Tuesday, the Spokane City Council said it will track progress and report on whether the ordinance has a measurable impact on the frequency of reported crimes involving crypto kiosks.

Hotbed for scammers 

Police detective Tim Schwering reportedly told the council that he’s seen a number of cases where money fed into these kiosks “will end up in places like China, North Korea, Russia.”

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Australia rolls out new crypto ATM rules as feds flag rising scams

He said criminals impersonate law enforcement or tax officials, telling victims to buy crypto at the ATMs to protect their money or avoid jail time.

“They’re scamming people, saying that they need to move their money into cryptocurrency in order to protect it,” Schwering said, according to The Spokesman-Review. “By the time the money is into the cryptocurrency, it’s already too late.” 

Crypto kiosk scams surge

The FBI reported in April that there were almost 11,000 complaints and over $246 million in losses associated with crypto ATM scams in 2024, a 31% increase from 2023. 

Scammers have also been targeting the elderly, with two-thirds of the victims of crypto kiosk fraud and scams being over 60, it noted.

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Crypto ATM losses in 2024. Source: FBI

Magazine: Arthur Hayes doesn’t care when his Bitcoin predictions are totally wrong



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Washington

Inside Woodlawn Cemetery’s mission to preserve history

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8 minutes ago

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June 24, 2026

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Inside Woodlawn Cemetery’s mission to preserve history


The iron gate to Woodlawn Cemetery is almost always locked shut, but Toni White-Richardson was more than happy to let News4 inside.

As president of the Woodlawn Cemetery Perpetual Care Association, she was excited to talk about what makes this resting place so special.

“It is major D.C. history, first. Then it’s also major Black history, second,” White-Richardson said.

More than 30,000 people, mostly African Americans, are buried among the 22 acres of Woodlawn Cemetery, which opened in Southeast D.C. in 1895. And like so many cemeteries that date back to the 1800s, particularly African American cemeteries, this one has fallen into disrepair, is overgrown and has headstones tumbled over, like those of Wilhelmina and her husband James, and Eliza Spencer, a mother who died in 1887.

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“Let me do a very upfront disclaimer,” White-Richardson said. “We have no idea where these stones go. And when we looked at the grid, it became even clear as mud, it became less clear as to where these stones should really go. Unfortunately, when we look back, we can tell there was a plan, but we could see we never got totally completed. Even back then, there are no markers saying this is Section H or this is Section G or this is 102 and this is, none of that.”

One of the most notable Washingtonians laid to rest here is John Mercer Langston, Virginia’s first Black congressman.

“Langston University came one year because they had a grand reunion in D.C., and we arranged for them to come to see […] John Mercer Langston, the university that was named after this man,” White-Richardson said.

And Blance Bruce, the first Black U.S. senator to serve a full term and register of the treasury, is also buried in the cemetery.

“He’s the signature on our dollar bill, you know, back in the late 1800s,” White-Richardson said. “So, oh, it’s history. It’s capital letters. No getting around it.”

Woodlawn is also the resting place of several of the original founders of two of the country’s most prominent Black sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta. Both organizations volunteer to help with clean ups.

The Perpetual Care Association recently received a grant from the D.C. Office of Planning to help with upkeep of the grounds and preserving the history here.

“These are important individuals who’ve made contributions to the District a century ago, but today still their history and their stories reverberate and really influence the trajectory of our city,” said Anita Cozart, director of the D.C. Office of Planning.

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The cemetery tucked away off Benning Road is only open to the public five days a year, but groups can request tours anytime. The next chance to visit Woodlawn when it will be open to the public is Labor Day.

They’re always looking for volunteers and donors to help with the upkeep of this sacred ground.



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Parsing Trump’s claims about Washington’s reflecting pool

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10 hours ago

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June 24, 2026

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Parsing Trump’s claims about Washington’s reflecting pool


US President Donald Trump wanted to mark the US’s 250th birthday with a renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the National Mall.

The makeover, including a new coat of “American Flag blue,” cost taxpayers $16 million (€14.1 million).

But the water is covered in green algae. The blue paint is already peeling. Trump has blamed vandals, while his critics question the project’s transparency and cost.

DW’s Brent Goff and Washington correspondent Janelle Dumalaon unpack the whole fiasco.

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Washington

Social media reacts to former BYU star AJ Dybantsa going No. 1 in 2026 NBA draft

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21 hours ago

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June 23, 2026

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Social media reacts to former BYU star AJ Dybantsa going No. 1 in 2026 NBA draft


Former BYU basketball star AJ Dybantsa fulfilled his dream of going No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA draft.

The Washington Wizards selected Dybantsa with the first pick.

Immediately after the pick, reactions poured in on social media about the Wizards drafting Dybantsa.

Social media reactions to the Washington Wizards selecting BYU star AJ Dybantsa

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

Want more coverage of BYU sports? Take us with you wherever you go.

Download the new and improved KSL Sports app from Utah’s sports leader. Allows you to stream live radio and video, keeping you up to date on all your favorite teams.

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