LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said on Tuesday it has stopped 26 machines across the country for illegally offering cryptocurrencies, warning consumers they could lose all of their money.
A member of the public paid in a thousand pounds into a crypto ATM in Sheffield, northern England, in an attempt to buy cryptocurrencies, but no cryptocurrency or funds were returned, the FCA said.
The watchdog, in a coordinated operation with other law enforcement agencies, inspected 34 locations suspected of hosting crypto ATMs since the start of this year and "disrupted" 26 machines.
"You will not be protected if something goes wrong, and you could lose your money," Smart said.
Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Steve Smart, Smart, Huw Jones, David Evans
Organizations:
Authority, FCA, Thomson
Locations:
Sheffield, England