BOSTON (SHNS) - Within the last three years, Waltham Police Detective Michael Maher started seeing more and more fraud reports involving cryptocurrency and, very often, elderly victims being swindled out of their savings.

Lately, the scams have taken on a new dimension, he told lawmakers Tuesday. Rather than fooling victims into sending money in the mail or purchasing gift cards, fraudsters are increasingly scamming people into transferring money -- often thousands of dollars at a time -- through virtual currency kiosks that can be found in convenience stores and other locations, often next to or near an ATM.

"They're very easy to use, I've tested them myself to purchase Bitcoin. And the fraudsters often keep the victim on the phone throughout the process, guiding them in setting up the

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