Bitcoin Forum

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Here's a story I just caught with a pictured of a destroyed Bitcoin ATM in Northern Virginia:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/5s3cbl/over_a_year_ago_i_discovered_a_batm_was_6_miles/

Apparently dozens of machines have been vandalized in the Midwest:

http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-atms-attacked-hammers-us-midwest/


This is disturbing news.  Where are the cops?

Damn racketeers offering Bitcoin ATM protection in exchange for money this is something I haven't heard of before lol. But the crime rate in Detroit and Chicago is pretty high so it's no wonder that enterprising thugs find new ways to accumulate money.

Whats the point in destroying the ATM? even if they are trying to steal shit the bitcoin arnt even there .....lol

A similar story happened in Canada recently. I think the reason is because it is more easy to target for those criminals. Now all ATM have trackers, or explose when the machine is hit, some even color the notes in purple with a special product so the money is unusable. They really invented new things to try to fight those types of criminals. After those implementations they started to target the people transporting the funds in their trucks.Then after a lot of report of attacks, some of those companies use anonymous trucks and the guys don't wear uniforms, they just try to look like random guys

its not about stealing bitcoin its more about these possible scenario's(top of list most relevant)
1. gangland protection blackmail
2. gangs have their own BTM's and destroying the competitor
3. gangs that lose value on a price dump and take it out on the BTM

That's an interesting set of comments which may very well be true to one degree or another.

In my city, the BTC ATMs I have visited and used are mostly in parts of town where the demand for both CA$H and BTC is very high...  Not the best parts of town, using mild words.  I have met some interesting characters at the BTMs...

1. "Protection" money being extorted from BTC ATM owners: very possible.

2. I am guessing the gangs here in my city do not have their own BTC ATMs, but have not looked into that possibility.

3. Maybe gangsters would be pissed off whenever BTC takes a price dump after they have bought.

And every bitcoin atm are needed using the ballistic glass soon.

It will make them will be feeling stressful.  :D But the bank will take the advantage from this cases. the bank will glad to watch more batm will being destroyed by the fuckin gangster.

Without more background information on each particular case of Bitcoin-ATMs being destroyed it's hard or impossible to say who is behind this. At the end of the day it could just be frustrated folks and/or people with severe mental issues who destroy said ATMs. It could also be attempts to steal money. Whatever it is, it sure is a sad phenomenon. Bitcoin ATMs should be treasured and cared for by the public.

the coindesk article

I think the machine should be strategically in town where security can be provided. and owners of the machine should inform the security agent except the government is against the use of bitcoin in the community. more so alert should be created in the media to encourage users to use more in the day.

Thissa rite here is about what mah own brain came up wit.  This worl' is big, an' they a lotta crazy ass folks in it, folks who'd destroy an ATM jist as easily as lookin' atcha.  Some people beat up machines jist ta hear 'em squeal.  Jist fo' the fun of it!

maybe the feds... maybe it's george soros

Is there really any money to be made with atms?

I assumed it would be peanuts. Certainly not enough to attract maniacs.

knowing the exchange rate "spread" between exchanges can be a couple %.. they can play that to pretend that they dont charge fee's while just showing a slightly greedy spread.
or charge a fee and also take the spread too

some BTM's can make upto 5% that way without disclosing its upto 5%

That is most likely the possible scenario,extorting the BTM's investor in return for protection or this group of personality/ganster are being paid by competitor.Easy money for them, but its a huge loss for the BTM's owner. So sad that people are doing things to make bitcoin become mainstream but some are  greedy enough to hinder this purpose.

It was an order by trump because the pieces of the ATMs were made in China this they are banned. Hahahaha either that or it was just some punks trying to hack them then got mad and vandalized them when they couldn't. The cops probably won't do anything. Why would they? Bitcoins are only used by criminals after all.

That might be true, just to show the opposition to China they could have done that. But what the News describes is that a protester supporting bitcoin to be the currency started protesting and in a short more than 150 people joined hands and which shortly got end with violence.

Extortion maybe is the reason why those gangsters are targeting those Bitcoin ATMs but to the owners of this Bitcoin ATM, why place the ATMs where it can be accessed freely by anyone. I know that that aim of having an ATM anywhere is for ease of access to ready cash or Bitcoin but the owners of this ATMs have to consider security not only for the users but also for the machine it self. Great place to place this ATMs are inside malls.

In my country, there is a group who targets distribution lines of power companies. They ask for money in exchange that they don't get their towers to be bombed.

This is really sad news, I feel it's the work of multiple people one of them would be the white collar banks who are fearing for their business, and want to make sure that Bitcoins atm don't rival them around. Secondly the hooligans might be doing it to make extra cash and possibly extortion, like imagine if they were paid in Bitcoin that's some crazy amount of money. I believe this is a attempt to make sure people stay away from Bitcoin and in the process get Bitcoin a bad name by saying look it causes violence, but this all cheap tactics won't really work, it will back fire for sure.

's not too surprising to me, we know bitcoin has not been accepted by some people. Some countries prohibit the circulation bitcoin in their country. I think it is difficult to find out who is responsible for it. But it could also just as ganster who want to take money in the atm. All possibilities can happen and only god knows. Thank you

I think the reason why those ATMs in the USA is being destroye by the gangs is not because they want to steal bitcoin from it becausein the first place, the bitcoin are not thee so they really cannot steal it! The reason is that, they are gangsters! And we all know that it is in their nature to destroy something they want along the streets and vandalize it or make some graffiti on it.

#1 is very likely. This has been one of organized crime's cash cow for a long time now. Ask money for "protection" they wouldn't need anyway if it wasn't for you.

#2 is a bit unlikely. I don't see them wasting money for ATMs of something even the general public is has not embraced yet.

#3 is possible. They do have money at their disposal and some enterprising members might have invested their money on bitcoin or they could have been receiving their payments in btc.

Only logical explanation is gangland blackmail. Maybe they want to be payed in bitcoins so it will help grow bitcoin community lol. Just joking, I think its pure vandalism, I suppose bitcoin atm's are not so protected like regular atm's, so adding a few cameras or putting them in more safely place can turn down those vandals.

The culprit behind the destruction of atm machines were possibly syndicates or groups that are asking for protection money from the owners and when the company failed to do so they started breaking many devices to warn the company of what they are capable of. But hope the owner of atm machine would install cctv cameras or employ security guard so that goons and gangs will not be able to get closer to the machine.

If the vandals destroy their competitors' machines they will very likely get more prospective customers for their own ATMs.
And they don't need to steal any money from their neighborhood shops when they can simply damage the equipment and receive money for not damaging any equipment any more.

May I know if that ATM machine is only for bitcoin? And may I know if the other Atm Machine is destroyed too? If all Atm machine is destroyed too, it's gang they just want to destroy all ATM without any reason, they just destroying. If all ATM machine that connected to bitcoin is only destroyed it's competitors.

we cant be too sure Trump is destroying it, this does not support the news that trump causes the rise in price of bitcoin. Though more has been going to bitcoin lately from America, at least someone in power would have leaked the idea of atm destruction as trade war

Hopefully those barbarians will be caught like Konja brothers and Co were caught recently. I hate when people are still trying to live in the past applying the rules of the past to today's life. They will fail, f**king morons.

That's a sad news but there is a reason behind it. Bitcoin ATMs are not owned by big corporations or by any bank. SO it is a easy target for the vandals to destroy. They know if they vandalize bitcoin ATM, no big money players will be behind them. That is the reason it is an easy target for them.

However, I don't think they are being destroyed by any competitors. It is done by the local gangs. Because competitors know vandalizing bitcoin ATMs will not lower its popularity, instead more people will come to know about bitcoin from the local newspaper news, which may increase their popularity. 

There is no way to steal bitcoin from ATM because bitcoin is virtual. Wait, bitcoin atm is really great idea because if we will think more deep, with broking atm there is no way of money stealing. Also most banks in USA don't want bitcoin integration with people and to my mind there is a hand of competitors. Elementary, explain if you can't stole money, why will you broke something with guarantee jail?

I doubt gangsters are behind this, I believe this is the handiwork of some competitor fighting for territorial control, it could also be banks sponsored attack, they have money to fund such move if you are a threat to their business

This is big brother telling little brother to move along now, this is my territory.

hmm


tell me, whats the behaviour that separate a 'group' from a 'gang'
oh yea fighting and wanting territorial control

in fact Trump do not need to destroy, he has the power to take more big actions, but i think he is not going to challenge another community means the community of bitcoin users he is already facing so many challenges and he is not in position to start another war, therefore he is not going to take any action against bitcoin in near future.

These low life fuckers need some ass whooping, what the heck! And where are the police in the Midwest area? Hope the fucking bring the fuckers to book because we can't let them destroy what we are all trying to build for our convenience.

so you think it's the local congressman taking some time out from washington? could be. let's wait for the video evidence.

Im thinking more on the line of banking executives trickle down thuganomics

there's an old saying "follow the money"

i think no one is against bitcoin, may be some people not taking interest in bitcoin, and these are the people who actually do not know about bitcoin. and once if bitcoin is introduced to them they they will certainly start interest in bitcoin and may be become a good investor of bitcoin. in fact still bitcoin need honest and devoted people to introduce it in such areas where people have no knowledge about bitcoin.

I think you're on to something Aunt Jemima. It may be just for fun.

http://coinbranding.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/AJ3.jpeg

rotf just saw that,  I went through the frustration part and now I may suffer mental issues lol

It could be a rival company or even a rival technology.... just look at all the shills operating on this forum and on Reddit and all the

misinformation that are being spread to confuse people. There are a lot of people/businesses that would suffer huge losses if Bitcoin

succeeded. { WU / MoneyGram }  ::)

Maybe gangsters and  competitors are colluding for their own interests, gangsters are in it for  the Benjamins and competitor killing the competition.

Looks like then someone is searching easy money and atm were always a good and fast way to get money, but i dont know how btc machines works beside has some money inside, there is no security around the machines of btc neither fiat, each bank does take some risks with those service they provide. But if the attacks allow them to acess some btc wallets loaded with btc that will make more sense, in any way those machines are low interest in the general.

95% chance it's most certainly a company involved in financial services. Maybe that they thought 'You plan to destroy our way of doing business? We'll destroy you!'. These practices happen in most parts of the industry where competition is getting more and more intense. The other 5% scenario could turn out to be dumb people thinking that these machines contain physical Bitcoin where they in their minds probably have spent these coins already. :D

It's most definitely gangs. These ATMs are usually at gas stations and people stand around seeing thousands of dollars being put into the ATMS... it's just a matter of time before someone thinks "Hey! We can break that open and get the cash".

I would doubt that a lot of companies would go to extremes like destroying ATMs or anything as an attempt to try and reduce the popularity of something like Bitcoin, especially when you consider most people find out about bitcoin online and then maybe transfer over to physical stuff later in their experience.

Shills definitely exist though.

That is a fact that Western union and money gram as well as bank transfers will suffer if people start using bitcoin and the fact is there will be a time in the future when Western Union and moneygram will be replaced by bitcoin or any other superior coin down the line.

I think that bitcoin wasn't reason to destroy this ATM. I think there was only gang, who wanted to show their power to local businness. And it's not similar to attempt to steal money from ATM. On such attempts money on ATM's are being damaged by safety system of ATM to make impossible to use it.

The BTC ATM that I use the most is at a gas station, but I have used one at a forex place and a convenience store as well.

I'll have to drop by one or more of our local ones to see if gangs have hit any of them yet.

This just reminds me of a thread here a few months ago of a BTM operator that said his place was robbed after he moved the BTM away, and nothing was taken, and police said they assumed the robbers were looking for something specific and didn't found it, since they didn't take anything... (can't find that thread, unfortunately). It may be gang related for sure, but I just think it's a bunch of robbers checking a BTM map and trying to rob BTM's that might have fiat bills.

This is an interesting story, and most likely gangs are the ones responsible for such an act. I doubt if it has anything to do with any of bitcoin's competitors trying to get in the way of bitcoin's progress. People can still easily transact without these machines.