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The U.S. Secret Service led a three‑day outreach sweep in Northern California that inspected more than 3,000 card readers and removed five illegal skimming devices — stopping an estimated $5.2 million in potential fraud. The operation, carried out in Sacramento and Napa Counties, shows law enforcement is still chasing low‑tech thieves who prey on electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and ordinary bank cards alike.
Operation details: boots on the ground, skimmers in the trash
From April 27–29, teams visited 510 businesses and checked ATMs, gas pumps and merchant point‑of‑sale terminals. The U.S. Secret Service worked with the Napa County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, and the HHS Office of Inspector General. Ryan Cole, Resident Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s Sacramento Resident Office, said the goal was to find and remove skimming devices before criminals could harvest card numbers. In plain English: don’t let crooks turn a grocery run into identity theft.
Why EBT and TANF users matter in this fight
The outreach focused on EBT fraud because criminals often target benefit cards that feed needy families. USDA OIG Special Agent in Charge Shawn Dionida emphasized protecting SNAP integrity, and HHS OIG Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden warned that skimmers steal more than money — they steal stability from vulnerable households. That’s worth repeating: skimming isn’t a victimless nuisance, it hits people who can least afford it. The release notes no arrests tied to these five devices so far — a reminder that finding gadgets is only the first step. Nationwide work last year removed hundreds of devices and stopped hundreds of millions in potential fraud, proving this is an ongoing campaign, not a single victory lap.
Simple steps merchants and consumers should take
Businesses should train staff to spot anything loose, crooked, or newly attached to card readers and to report suspicious customers or tampering. Merchants need to adopt chip and contactless payments where they can, and secure their pumps and terminals. Consumers should use tap‑to‑pay or chip when possible, cover PIN entries, and use indoor ATMs in well‑lit locations. If a card reader looks like it was glued on with a rogue glue stick, don’t use it — and tell someone who can do something about it.
Wrap up: applaud the cops, demand more action
Good on the Secret Service and its partners for removing devices and educating merchants. But ripping skimmers off a pump is only half the job if the networks and people behind the thefts keep selling stolen data on the dark web. We need follow‑up: prosecutions, stronger merchant security standards, and pressure on payment processors to make skimming less profitable. Until then, citizens and small business owners must stay alert — and expect law enforcement to keep doing the hard, unglamorous work of protecting wallets and benefits from petty, persistent thieves.
