In recent years, criminals have found a new way to steal millions of dollars from older Americans. This legislative session, House Bill 441 aims to do something to stop that.
Cryptocurrency kiosks, aka “crypto ATMs” or “virtual currency kiosks,” look like bank ATMs and allow people to conduct legitimate cryptocurrency transactions. However, criminals are also using them to carry out fraudulent activity. In 2025, the FBI received 13,460 complaints involving crypto kiosks, with Americans reporting $389 million in stolen funds. Seventy-six percent of those losses were suffered by adults 60-plus.
Here’s how the scam works: The criminal convinces a target that he or she must address an urgent financial matter, directing the individual to withdraw large amounts of cash — sometimes tens of thousands of dollars — from his or her bank. The victim then inserts that money into a crypto kiosk via a digital QR code, and it’s transferred to the scammer.
House Bill 441 calls for a ban on these crypto ATMs, and AARP Delaware fully supports the bill.
In Delaware, there are more than 161 cryptocurrency kiosks, and consumers have filed 406 complaints involving them, reporting nearly $19.9 million in losses. These are not just statistics. They represent Delawareans who were convinced by scammers that they needed to move their money to protect their savings, help a loved one or resolve a fake emergency.
Older Delawareans cannot afford to lose their hard-earned money. That is why they’re counting on our lawmakers to vote yes on House Bill 441, to ensure that their savings remain where they belong — and not in a criminal’s digital wallet.
Denise Davis
AARP Delaware Executive Council
Bear
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