Two men were arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, after stealing a Bitcoin ATM from a neighborhood gas station.

One sign of greater mainstream awareness and adoption of cryptocurrency is the increasing number of Bitcoin ATMs popping up all over the place. While offering convenience for those looking to buy and sell some BTC, others of a more criminal bent look upon such machines as a quick way to score some cash. Such was the case in Atlanta recently where two men were arrested for stealing a Bitcoin ATM.

Bitcoin Went Down to Georgia

At around 1:20 am on March 8th, three men broke into a Shell gas station on Briarcliff Road in Atlanta. The criminals used crowbars to break into the gas station, which then allowed them the necessary access to steal the Bitcoin ATM.

The criminals then put the ATM in the back of their car, a Chevy Malibu. However, the machine was so big, they were unable to close one of the rear doors. The trio then drove off with their ill-gotten gains.

All this action was caught on surveillance cameras, but two of the men wore ski masks and the license plate of the car was covered in silver tape. However, one of the criminals dropped his cellphone. Police are not saying that this led them to the criminals, but two of the men were arrested less than 24 hours later. The arrested men are Erron Watson, 32, and Kendrick Johnson, 33. They are both charged with the possession of tools for the commission of a crime and second-degree burglary.

The Rise of the Bitcoin ATM

The Bitcoin ATM alone is worth $2,000, and there’s no report on how much money was stored inside. However, the average transaction size is between $100 to $350, and surveys have shown that a rough average of monthly transaction volume at a Bitcoin ATM is around $30,000. So it’s safe to say there was a healthy bit of cash locked away inside the machine.

Overall, there are 4,414 Bitcoin ATMs worldwide, with 2,492 located in the United States. The number of crypto ATMs continues to grow every day as more than six machines are installed daily.

While crooks may look at a BTC ATM and see easy money, stupidity can wreck the best-laid plans if someone leaves their cellphone at the scene of the crime.

Have you used a Bitcoin ATM? Let us know in the comments below.

Images courtesy of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Flickr, and Pxhere.