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Airway Heights bans virtual currency kiosks, citing fraud and harm to elderly residents
Summary
Council adopted Ordinance C‑1128 to prohibit virtual currency kiosks. Detective Schurring told council kiosks are linked to large‑scale fraud, charge 10–30% fees, and have led to catastrophic financial losses for some victims; council passed the ban unanimously.
Airway Heights adopted Ordinance C‑1128 on second reading July 6, banning virtual currency kiosks in the city as a consumer‑protection measure.
Detective Tim Schurring, who presented to council, described a surge in cases where cryptocurrency kiosks were used in fraud and money‑laundering schemes. He said investigators have handled more than 100 cases and that victims — often elderly people on fixed incomes — have in some instances lost life savings. "These cases are heartbreaking... I've investigated over a 100 of these types of cases," Schurring said. He told council kiosks often charge 10–30% in fees per transaction and that kiosks are frequently used in catastrophic scams.
Council members and police staff framed the prohibition as a targeted consumer‑protection step that does not restrict lawful online cryptocurrency use. The ordinance passed unanimously.
