Bradenton Police: Residents lost $1.2 million in cryptocurrency schemes
By Shannon Behnken
Published on March 12, 2026.
The investigation into criminals using Bitcoin machines to trick elderly citizens of Florida into losing $1.2 million in cryptocurrency schemes led to the Bradenton Police Department's investigation. Most of the money was never recovered. The crime is an "epidemic" according to Detective Jim Curulla. Once the money is transferred into cryptocurrency, it is usually unrecoverable. The scam is now prevalent at ATMs that handle cryptocurrency, making it harder to prevent these scams.
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