MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, Badger State Sheriffs’ Association, and Wisconsin Sheriffs & Deputy Sheriffs Association applaud the Senate for passing Assembly Bill 968 (AB 968), legislation aimed at addressing the growing illicit use of crypto kiosks across the state. The Senate’s bipartisan, unanimous 33-0 vote reflects the willingness of lawmakers to come together and represents a significant and timely step forward in protecting vulnerable Wisconsin residents from increasingly sophisticated scams.
“Law enforcement across Wisconsin is experiencing the real-world impact of these scams every day,” said WCPA President Chief Danny Thompson. “An investigation by the Iowa Attorney General determined that 98% of funds transmitted through these machines were scam transactions. The Senate’s vote ensures commonsense safeguards are put in place to better protect Wisconsin residents.”
“These cases also require a tremendous amount of law enforcement time and resources,” said WS&DSA President and Marathon County Sheriff Chad Billeb. “Investigators often spend hours working with victims, financial institutions, and digital wallet providers trying to trace transactions that can move across multiple accounts and even overseas within minutes. By the time law enforcement can intervene, the money is frequently gone. The Senate’s passage of this bill helps put reasonable guardrails in place that can prevent these crimes from happening in the first place.”
“Sheriffs across Wisconsin are seeing firsthand how devastating these scams can be for victims and their families,” said BSSA President and Brown County Sheriff Todd Delain “Too often, individuals are manipulated into withdrawing large sums of cash and depositing it into these machines with little to no recourse once the funds are gone. We appreciate the Senate recognizing the urgency of this issue and taking action to put protections in place that will help prevent these crimes before they occur.”
We are especially grateful to Senator Jesse James for his leadership and continued advocacy on this important issue. AB 968 establishes a $1,000 daily transaction limit and creates clear accountability and consumer safeguards for kiosk operators. We urge Governor Evers to sign this legislation into law.
This legislation is not anti-crypto—it is anti-fraud and tough on crime. It protects Wisconsin residents and helps stop criminals from exploiting our most vulnerable.
