The U.S. Secret Service led a focused operation in Baltimore on Oct. 22-23 to find and remove illegal skimming devices that steal Electronic Benefit Transfer and payment card data, working with local police and state partners to inspect thousands of terminals and protect vulnerable residents from fraud.
Teams visited 493 businesses across Baltimore and nearby communities during the two-day outreach effort. They inspected more than 3,000 point-of-sale terminals, gas pumps, and ATMs to look for tampering and signs of illegal devices.
During the operation, personnel removed 22 illegal skimming devices that were capable of capturing card data and immediately disabled those threats. Officials estimate the removal prevented a potential loss of nearly $22.9 million in stolen benefits and payment card fraud.
Outreach work also included handing out educational materials to business owners and staff to help them spot skimming devices and understand the red flags of tampering. The goal was to make merchants a first line of defense so skimmers are identified before criminals can harvest data.
The operation brought together federal, county, and city agencies to coordinate inspections and share expertise. Participating agencies included multiple local police departments and county sheriff’s offices, with representatives from the Maryland Department of Human Services joining the effort.
Officials summarized the effort and its goals. “The U.S. Secret Service, and our law enforcement and state agency partners, remain committed to combatting EBT fraud and payment card skimming in Maryland and throughout the country,” said Brian McDonough, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Baltimore Field Office. “This proactive approach allows us to identify and remove skimming devices that target our nation’s most vulnerable populations. I’m proud of the great work of our personnel and our partners during this operation.”
Skimming is a national problem that operators and victims see repeatedly, and the Baltimore sweep was one of several such efforts across the country. Criminals attach or conceal devices on ATMs, pumps, and terminals to copy card data, then encode that information onto other cards or use it for illicit purchases.
Experts estimate skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year, draining resources and creating headaches for families who rely on assistance accounts. The mechanics are simple for criminals: capture card data, replicate it, and use it when benefit deposits hit accounts.
Maryland has documented thousands of stolen-benefit claims in recent years tied to this kind of criminal activity. The state approved over 51,000 claims of stolen benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program totaling $22.5 million across fiscal years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
EBT fraud tends to target the neediest households, especially because monthly benefit deposits create predictable windows when fraudsters can strike. Criminals study deposit schedules and then time withdrawals and purchases to empty accounts soon after funds arrive.
There are practical steps people and businesses can take to reduce risk and catch tampering early. The operation in Baltimore emphasized basic vigilance as a cost-effective, high-impact deterrent.
- Inspect ATMs, point-of-sale terminals, and card readers for anything loose, crooked, damaged, or scratched; avoid using a reader that looks unusual.
- Whenever possible, use tap-to-pay or chip-capable cards to reduce the need for magnetic-strip reads that skimmers exploit.
- If you must use a debit card at a pump, run it as credit to avoid entering a PIN; when a PIN is necessary, shield the keypad to block tiny cameras that can record entries.
- Prefer ATMs in secure, well-lit indoor locations, which are less likely to be targeted than isolated outdoor machines.
- Be especially alert in tourist areas and high-traffic spots, where skimmers and scammers often concentrate their activity.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
