The Secret Service’s New York field operation removed 35 illegal skimming devices and helped block roughly $36.5 million in potential fraud during a three-day outreach across the boroughs, combining enforcement, inspections and business education to disrupt schemes targeting EBT and payment cards.
The U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office seized 35 illegal skimming devices that prevented about $36.5 million in potential loss. The operation wrapped up a three-day Electronic Benefit Transfer Fraud and payment card skimming outreach effort that ran from June 23-25, 2026. Teams aimed to both remove devices and teach merchants how to spot tampering.
Fourteen teams visited 1,010 businesses and conducted 3,935 inspections in Brooklyn, The Bronx and Queens over the three days. Alongside seizures, the outreach focused on hands-on inspections and showing store owners what to watch for at point-of-sale terminals. The scale was meant to send a clear message to anyone installing skimmers in small stores and bodegas.
“New York is a target-rich environment for illegal skimmers. The high concentration of bodegas and small stores throughout the city makes it easier for criminals to install these devices,” said Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool, of the New York Field Office.
“The FIFA World Cup this summer is expected to bring in an extra million people, along with billions in revenue to the city. Our message to the criminal fraudsters producing and placing skimmers in our community is clear: We will find you; we will arrest you, and we will hold you accountable. Stealing credit card and EBT information from hardworking New Yorkers is not a victimless crime, and those responsible should expect a knock on their door soon.”
Personnel from the Secret Service, New York Police Department, New York City Department of Investigation and the USDA Office of the Inspector General participated in the outreach effort. That multiagency approach combined investigative teams with inspectors who know how to spot the subtle signs of tampering. The collaboration helped speed identification and removal of illegal hardware.
“Criminals who steal food assistance dollars from needy Americans to enrich themselves are disgraceful and will be held to account. I was proud to participate with the United States Secret Service who led this operation along with OIG special agents and other law enforcement partners against SNAP fraud in New York City,” said Inspector General John Walk of the United States Department of Agriculture.
“This operation was a huge success – 35 skimming devices off the streets of NYC saves American taxpayers an estimated $36.5 million and ensures SNAP benefits are not siphoned away from the families it was intended for. Let’s stand together to end SNAP fraud.”
Teams located 15 devices in Brooklyn, 9 in The Bronx and 10 in Queens, and an additional skimmer was discovered in Manhattan after officers inspected a specific terminal. Those borough-by-borough totals reflect where small merchants and high foot traffic coincide, which scammers exploit. Targeted inspections after complaints or tips remain an important enforcement tactic.
The Secret Service has run similar nationwide operations, and this outreach marked the fourth such operation in New York City. Previous New York efforts netted 133 skimming devices and prevented nearly $139 million in projected losses. In 2025, law enforcement removed more than 400 illegal skimming devices during these campaigns, preventing an estimated potential fraud loss of more than $428 million.
Criminals often steal EBT and other payment card numbers by installing illegal skimming devices on ATMs, gas pumps and merchant point-of-sale terminals. Scammers use skimming technology to capture card information from EBT cards and encode that data onto another card with a magnetic strip. It is estimated that skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year.
There are several precautions consumers can take to protect themselves: Here are common-sense tips that reduce exposure and make skimming attempts harder to succeed.
- Inspect ATMs, point-of-sale terminals and other card readers. Look for anything loose, crooked, damaged, or scratched. Do not use a card reader if anything appears unusual.
- Whenever possible, use tap-to-pay technology or use debit and credit cards with chip technology.
- If using a debit card at a gas station, run it as a credit card to avoid entering a PIN. If that is not an option, consumers should use their hand to hide their PIN to block scammers who may be using tiny pinhole cameras above the keypad area to record entries. Use ATMs in a well-lit, indoor location, which are less vulnerable targets.
- Be alert for skimming devices in tourist areas, which are popular targets.
Removing devices and educating merchants are both critical to reducing fraud, and law enforcement says continued vigilance is necessary as events and tourism bring more visitors to the city. These outreach operations mix prevention with enforcement to make small stores harder targets and to protect benefit programs from theft.
