Overview

• The District filed the civil case on September 8 in D.C. Superior Court, alleging violations of the Consumer Protection Procedures Act and the Financial Exploitation Act.
• The complaint says 93% of early deposits through Athena’s machines were tied to scams, with a median victim age of 71 and a median loss of $8,000.
• Prosecutors allege undisclosed markups pushed effective fees as high as 26% and say Athena declined refunds while allowing large cash deposits to wallets previously flagged in scams.
• Attorney General Brian Schwalb called the machines a tool for criminals and said the suit seeks to recover funds for residents and halt the alleged conduct; no court ruling or company response is reported.
• Context from regulators and lawmakers includes sharp growth in BTM-related fraud losses reported by the FTC and FBI and new state rules such as Arizona’s daily limits and required disclosures, with Athena reported to operate about 13% of U.S. crypto ATMs.