85-year-old woman loses $364,000 via cryptocurrency ATM at local tobacconist over one year

Summary

A 85-year-old woman named Mary lost $364,000 through a cryptocurrency ATM in a local tobacconist over the course of a year. The police visited her home in April 2025 after monitoring her activity. AUSTRAC, Australia’s financial intelligence agency, had alerted the police due to her high-volume transactions. Mary expressed shock at the police visit, calling it “out of the blue.” The incident marked the first time in her 85 years that police had appeared at her doorstep.