The Secret Service searches 472 stores and finds 13 information theft devices

During a search of 472 stores, SECRET Service agents seized 13 skimming devices and warned consumers how to recognize information-stealing gadgets.

A federal law enforcement agency has joined forces with local police in a statewide operation to crack down on credit card fraud.

Secret Service agents discover hundreds of skimming devices connected to self-checkout lanesSource: Getty

Skimming devices are small devices attached to point-of-sale machines that steal victims’ credit card informationSource: Getty

Fraudsters across the United States are using credit card skimmers to steal customers’ credit card information without their knowledge.

The skimmers fit the original card reader and fit almost perfectly.

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

“We are working 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 News4JAX.

“This is a two-tiered mission for us. The first part of the mission is to identify, locate, and extract any skimmers found in ATMs, point-of-sale terminals, or gas stations.

“If we find an item, we will remove it and conduct further examination.”

Officers believe brazen thieves are disproportionately targeting EBT funds, sucking the blood of defenseless seniors.

Special Agent Chad Balsamo outlined warning signs that may indicate criminals have connected scanning devices to card readers.

“I just want to check to see if there’s anything loose on top, you know, some foreign overlay that shouldn’t be on the device,” he explained.

“Then we can also insert this skimming checker that Target has provided into their point-of-sale terminals, and if there was one, you wouldn’t be able to insert it all the way in.”

Checkout alert after secret device found stealing all customer data at three retail stores in ‘brazen’ move

Authorities say Florida has become a hotbed for fraudsters.

“Everywhere from Miami to Jacksonville, certainly in the Jacksonville field office, we’ve had a lot of investigations into skimming devices,” Andrews continued.

A total of 13 skimming devices were recovered across the state.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A SKIMMER

When trying to spot a skimmer, there are a few things to look out for:

ATM card skimmers are usually attached to the original card reader.
Some ATM skimmers are inserted into the card reader, placed inside the terminal, or placed along exposed cables.
Pinhole cameras installed in ATMs record the customer entering his PIN. The positioning of a pinhole camera varies greatly.
In some cases, keyboard overlays are used instead of pinhole cameras to record PINs. Keyboard overlays record the customer’s keystrokes.
Viewing devices store data that can later be downloaded or transmitted wirelessly.

Credit – FBI

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

More than 3,500 cash terminals, gas dispensers and ATMs were inspected, meaning thousands of business owners were educated on what to look out for.

CROWD OF CRIMINALS

Skimmers are linked not only to everyday fraudsters, but also to serious retail crime organizations.

Last month, dozens of people with ties to a Romanian crime group were arrested in California for using skimmers.

“People are sitting outside Walmart or Target and it looks like they’re panhandling,” said Kimberly Edds, director of public affairs for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, according to the New York Post.

“Sometimes they have two kids. And they actually use Bluetooth technology that is connected to the skimmers in the stores.

“It’s like two in one: getting the money people give them and stealing skimmer numbers.”

The police obtained a recording showing criminals placing scanners on credit cards that looked almost identical to real scanners.