UK Police Detain Crypto ATM Operator for Illegal Activities

• A 37-year-old mobile shop owner was detained by Kent police for operating crypto ATMs illegally. 
• In April 2023, the Kent police raided Habibur’s shop in Chatham, Kent, where they seized several crypto ATMs.
• There are currently no crypto ATMs registered with the FCA, said Matthew Long, Director of Payments and Digital Assets for the FCA. 

Over dozens of scams, hacks, and frauds are reported in the cryptocurrency market daily, and the surging of fraud activities has raised severe concerns over the security of the blockchain currency.  

According to recent information, the Kent police have detained a mobile shop owner for illegally operating a cryptocurrency ATM. Habibur Rahman, a 37-year-old resident of the United Kingdom, is accused of illegally laundering £300k of criminal cash by converting it into cryptocurrency.

As per the additional information earlier in April 2023, the Kent police raided Habibur’s shop in Chatham, Kent, where they seized several crypto ATMs. It is crucial to note that no registered cryptocurrency ATM exists in the region.

Matthew Long, Director of Payments and Digital Assets for the FCA, said, “There are currently no crypto ATMs registered with the FCA – so if you’re using one of these machines, you could be handing your money to criminals.” 

What is a Crypto ATM?    

A Crypto ATM (Automated Teller Machine) is a kiosk that allows users to buy or sell cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or others for cash or debit/credit cards. 

Crypto ATMs are similar to traditional bank ATMs but are explicitly designed for cryptocurrency transactions, offering several other unique services. However, the transaction charges on crypto ATMs are comparatively greater than those of traditional ATMs. 

Other Market Updates 

Todayq reported that the TON Network ran down due to heavy congestion and stopped producing blocks. However, the network was reported online after six hours at around 5:30 am UTC on August 28. 

The traffic over the network grew significantly following the launch of DOGS, a trending memecoin in the crypto market. 

OpenSea is one of the most prominent NFT marketplaces; the ecosystem recently received a wells notice from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.  

Devin Finzer, the chief executive officer and co-founder of OpenSea wrote in an X post that “OpenSea has received a Wells notice from the SEC threatening to sue us because they believe NFTs on our platform are securities.”