On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that Easthampton has become the second community in Hampshire County to prohibit cryptocurrency ATMs, joining a statewide push by Massachusetts municipalities to curb fraud targeting elderly and vulnerable residents.
The Easthampton City Council voted unanimously at its Sept. 16 meeting to approve an ordinance banning the machines, commonly called crypto kiosks, from operating within city limits. City Council President Koni Denham and Vice President Felicia Jadczak submitted the request. Councilor Kiam Jamrog-McQuaid, who leads the ordinance subcommittee, said the measure was designed to combat a rise in crypto-related fraud affecting seniors and other at-risk populations.
Crypto kiosks resemble standard ATMs and are frequently installed in convenience stores and similar businesses. Officials said the machines have become a common tool for scammers, who contact victims by phone, text, or email and pressure them to withdraw cash and deposit it into the kiosks to convert into cryptocurrency.
The FBI reported $389 million in losses nationwide to such scams last year, with close to $7 million of that total coming from Massachusetts, according to reporting by The Boston Globe. The Globe also found that 20 Massachusetts communities had enacted similar bans by the end of August. Within Hampshire County, only South Hadley and Hadley had previously adopted such restrictions before Easthampton’s vote.
Westfield and Longmeadow have also banned the machines, and Agawam is reportedly considering similar action. State lawmakers have not yet established regulations specific to the kiosks, which officials say has pushed individual municipalities to act on their own.
Easthampton Police Lt. Eric Alexander and Detective Michael Briggs addressed the council at the meeting, describing local cases in which residents lost money through the kiosks. Briggs said he believes roughly four such machines currently operate in the city, though exact numbers are difficult to determine because the kiosks are unregulated and not subject to registration requirements. He noted that the number of machines has grown since the first one appeared locally.
Alexander said his department has intercepted some residents before they could deposit funds, but that once money is placed into the machines, recovering it is extremely difficult. Briggs added that the kiosks often charge steep transaction fees, in some cases as much as 50% of the amount deposited or withdrawn.
In one case described by Briggs, an Easthampton resident was told by a caller that his bank account had been compromised and was persuaded to deposit $80,000 into a local kiosk. The money was not recovered.
Officials said scammers often rely on social engineering tactics, posing as bank representatives or family members to manipulate victims. Alexander said such scams remain relatively uncommon in Easthampton but have been reported by residents.
Under the new ordinance, enforcement will fall to the Easthampton Police Department, and any cryptocurrency kiosks currently operating in the city will be required to be removed.
The Massachusetts Sheriffs Association sent a letter to state legislators in July calling for a statewide ban on the kiosks, a proposal that remains under negotiation in the House and Senate.
Source: Daily Hampshire Gazette
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