Secret Service sweeps 472 stores and finds 13 info-stealing devices – agent shows shoppers exactly what to look for

SECRET Service agents nabbed 13 skimming devices during a 472-store sweep – and warned consumers how to spot the info-stealing gadgets.

The federal law enforcement agency joined forces with local cops as part of a state-wide operation to clamp down on credit card fraud.

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Credit card skimmers have been utilized by scammers all over the United States to steal shoppers’ credit card information without them knowing.

Skimmers can fit over the original card reader and almost perfectly blend in.

These devices are often found in ATMs , gas, stations, and grocery stores.

“We have a joint operation with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Agriculture,” Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Jacksonville Field Office Peter Andrews told local CW affiliate WJXT .

“It’s a two-tier mission for us. The first part of the mission is to identify, locate, and extract any skimmers that are found on ATMs and or point-of-sale terminals or gas pumps.

“If we happen to find one, we’ll extract it and bring it for further investigation.”

Officers believe brazen thieves are disproportionately targeting EBT funds – bleeding vulnerable senior citizens dry.

Special Agent Chad Balsamo laid out the warning signs that criminals have attached a skimming device to card readers.

“I’m just looking to see if there’s anything on top that feels loose, you know, any type of foreign overlay that’s not supposed to be on the device,” he explained.

“Then, we can also insert this skimming checking device that Target provided for their point-of-sale terminals, which if there was one, you wouldn’t be able to insert this all the way.”

According to officials, Florida has become a hotspot for fraudsters.

“Everywhere from Miami up to Jacksonville, we certainly in the Jacksonville field office have had multiple investigations into skimming devices,” Andrews continued.

In total, 13 skimming devices were recovered statewide.

How to spot a skimmer

There are a few things to looks out for when trying to spot a skimmer

• ATM skimmer devices usually fit over the original card reader.
• Some ATM skimmers are inserted in the card reader, placed in the terminal, or situated along exposed cables.
• Pinhole cameras installed on ATMs record a customer entering their PIN. Pinhole camera placement varies widely.
• In some cases, keypad overlays are used instead of pinhole cameras to records PINs. Keypad overlays record a customer’s keystrokes.
• Skimming devices store data to be downloaded or wirelessly transferred later.

Credit – The FBI

The U.S. Secret Service estimated their removal prevented a potential loss of $1.3 million.

More than 3,500 point-of-sale terminals, gas pumps, and ATMs were inspected, which means thousands of business owners were also educated on what to be on the lookout for.

CRIME MOB

Skimmers have not only been linked to everyday fraudsters but also serious retail crime organizations.

Last month, dozens of people connected to a Romanian crime mob in California have been arrested for utilizing skimmers.

“They’ll have people sitting outside a Walmart or a Target, and it looks like they’re panhandling,” says Kimberly Edds, director of public affairs with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, according to the New York Post .

“Sometimes they’ll have a couple of kids. And they are actually using Bluetooth technology that’s connected to the skimmers inside the stores.

“So it’s like a two-for-one, getting cash that people give them and stealing the numbers of the skimmers.”

The police retrieved footage of the criminals placing skimmers over credit card swipes, looking almost identical to a real scanner.