The Lincoln, Nebraska Police Department is teaming up with AARP to tackle a growing problem that hits older adults especially hard: cryptocurrency scams.
Lincoln may not be a major tech hub or a sprawling metropolis, but that hasn’t spared it from modern financial fraud. With a population of just over 291,000, residents reportedly lost more than $11 million to scammers, according to Police Chief Michon Morrow. A significant portion of that damage, authorities say, comes from schemes that target older adults who may be unfamiliar with how digital currency works—but trust the official-looking machines used to buy it.
To address the issue, the Lincoln City Council approved a new ordinance, Lincoln Municipal Code Chapter 9.70, on November 17. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird signed it into law a week later. The goal isn’t to ban cryptocurrency ATMs, but to make sure people—especially seniors—understand the risks before they use one.
Under the ordinance, any business that operates or provides access to a cryptocurrency ATM must display clear, written warnings about the potential for fraud. Business owners have until December 24 to post the warning stickers, which are being provided by the Lincoln Police Department. The city estimates there are about 100 of these machines scattered across Lincoln.
Police Chief Morrow says the focus is prevention through education, not punishment...
“The Lincoln Police Department understands how devastating it is to become a victim of financial fraud,” Morrow said. “We encourage everyone to have conversations with loved ones about scams so we can all work together to be part of the solution. Our goal is to prevent more people from losing their hard-earned money.”
AARP Nebraska is playing a hands-on role in that effort. In mid-December, 20 AARP volunteers will fan out across the city to deliver information packets and warning stickers to every cryptocurrency ATM location. Those packets are designed to explain, in plain language, how crypto scams work and why these machines are often used by criminals.
“AARP Nebraska remains dedicated to partnering with communities statewide to protect older Nebraskans from these scams,” said Todd Stubbendieck, State Director for AARP Nebraska. “Our volunteer Fraud Fighters are raising awareness about how scammers exploit cryptocurrency kiosks because once money is sent through a digital wallet, it is nearly impossible to trace or recover.”
Alongside the new ordinance, the Lincoln Police Department has launched a dedicated webpage with up-to-date information on financial and cryptocurrency scams, tailored for people who may be encountering these technologies for the first time.
The department is also backing up education with enforcement. In January, LPD plans to add a fifth investigator to its Technical Investigations Unit, a team created specifically to focus on cryptocurrency-related fraud.
For seniors—and their families—the message is straightforward: if a stranger is rushing you to use a crypto ATM, something is wrong. And now, thanks to a mix of local lawmaking and community education, Lincoln is making sure that warning is harder to miss.
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- Miles Monroe
Washington DC Newsroom
GlobalCryptoPress.com
