Wood County sheriff's office backs Assembly Bill 968 to regulate cryptocurrency kiosks
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Summary
Chief Deputy Quentin Ellis told WFHR that Wood County supports Assembly Bill 968, which would cap daily kiosk transactions, require identity checks and a 30-day reporting window to help investigators recover funds from scams that have cost residents 'hundreds of thousands' of dollars.
Chief Deputy Quentin Ellis of the Wood County Sheriff's Department told WFHR's 'Perspective' that the department supports Assembly Bill 968, a proposal to regulate cryptocurrency kiosks in Wisconsin. Ellis said Sheriff Becker was in Madison to testify on the bill and that the department has been “very passionate” about pursuing legislative help.
"They will call with any amount of different scenarios ... they have you give access over to the scammer," Ellis said, describing how scammers instruct victims to put cash into kiosk machines and then transfer control of a digital wallet. He said the scams often target elderly residents and that Wood County has tracked losses in the "hundreds of thousands" from a small number of cases.
Why it matters: Ellis said the kiosks currently operate outside the regulatory and consumer-protection frameworks that govern banks and credit unions, carry high fees for users, and in many cases are not cooperative with investigators. The bill would, according to Ellis and the hosts' discussion, place limits on kiosk use and create reporting and identity safeguards.
Ellis described several provisions he expects in the bill: a cap on daily transactions (he identified a $500-per-day limit), a requirement that kiosks collect a photographic record of the person using the machine to aid investigations, and a roughly 30-day reporting window for victims to notify authorities so companies must then cooperate in recovery attempts. "$500 per day is correct," Ellis said of the daily cap, adding that the limit "may not prevent everything, but it might not financially ruin somebody that falls victim to a scam."
Ellis said Wood County has tried to seize accessible funds from kiosks and work with companies willing to cooperate to return money to victims, but the lack of statewide regulation makes those recoveries difficult. He also said states with existing kiosk rules have seen scams decline.
The conversation stressed that the bill is intended to protect both consumers and legitimate operators by creating a clear, regulated framework. The Sheriff's Department hopes the legislation will deter scammers and make it easier for law enforcement to investigate and recover funds.
No formal vote or local action was recorded during the interview; Ellis said Sheriff Becker and Lieutenant Scott Goldberg have been involved in advocating for legislative action in Madison. The station and guests encouraged victims or concerned residents to report suspected fraud to local law enforcement.
