Seven ATMs were seized for encryption and two people were arrested in southwest London on Thursday on suspicion of money laundering and the operation of the illegal encrypted currency exchange.

The operation led the UK Financial behavior body (FCA) and Metropolitan police, according to a statement issued by the Financial Supervision Authority.

Since January 2021, any traditional business in the UK must be recorded in FCA and the anti -money laundering regulations. Currently, legal ATMs do not operate in the United Kingdom, and one use or operation without FCA is a criminal crime.

“If you are running illegal encoding or exchange devices, you must expect severe consequences,” said Teres Chambers, Executive Director of Enforcement and Supervision of the Market at FCA. “There are currently no coder -run automated ATMs in the United Kingdom, so use one supports crime only.”

The suspects were interviewed and released under investigation, while the investigation continues.

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American lawmakers suggest regulations on encrypted ATMs

In the state of Wisconsin, an American country where encryption booths have become increasingly common, a draft law was presented by Senator Kelda Ruiz and state representative Ryan Spudd to create guarantees against fraud, hidden fees, deceptive prices and fraud that can lead to significant financial losses.

The legislation was presented after a wave of fraud in digital currencies and coding kiosks in the country.

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“Everyone deserves accurate information about the risks of certain types of technology, transparency about costs and fees, and legal handrails to prevent fraud and criminal exploitation,” Ruiz said at that time. “The encrypted currency here is actively used – and we need to take steps to prevent Wisconsin from exposure to prevalence.”

New legislation aims to address encryption fraud

The most common fraud that involves the ATMs is the fraud, as the victims are deceived to send encryption to the fraudsters who demonstrate as law enforcement, government officials or utility companies. It often targets the oldest and most vulnerable population.

According to a report issued by the FBI, the victims lost about 247 million dollars due to fraud that included coded ATMs in 2023.

In order for the new draft law to become a law, SPAUDE and Roys must sponsor the bill through committees, the safe committee and approve the floor in both the association and the Senate, and obtain the signature of the ruler.

A similar bill was presented in the US Senate at the Federal level in February 2025 by Senator Dick Dorbin (D – If approved, the “ATM Crypto” fraud law will display warnings about stalls throughout the country, impose limits on new customer transactions, and provides fraud victims who report fraud within 30 days.

According to data from Coinatmradar, the United States is home to 78.4 % of the world’s ATMs in the world.

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