LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Most of us swipe our cards every day without worrying about where our card information is going. Thieves count on that to swipe your data.
FOX5 was the first to tell you about scammers targeting local EBT cards – now it appears Las Vegas is not alone. Nationwide ATM and credit card skimming is on the rise.
Now Metro is teaming up with U.S. Secret Service agents for a targeted effort to track down and clear out card skimmers.
“During our two-and-a-half day operation, our team found 18 illegal skimming devices and in total we checked 11,600 ATMS, gas pumps, and POS terminals with skimmers.”
Special Agent in Charge Karen Ransom’s discussing a mission agents and officers conducted earlier in the week. It followed a similar one earlier this month in California specifically targeting EBT fraud. The Secret Service believes some bad actors there are targeting victims here in Nevada and then sending the stolen proceeds overseas.
“These are organized crime groups that are doing this to fund their criminal organizations, so there’s always that aspect as well,” says LVMPD Deputy Chief Nick Farese.
And while the local task force took 18 devices out of commission, and kept more money from flowing into illegal activity, Farese says more are being installed all the time.
“These suspects are pretty sly in doing these things and sometimes there’ll be distractions, where they distract the clerk or the merchant to put the device on. Or in gas pumps, they’re very strategic in what pumps they choose to put these skimming devices on, usually far away from the building, far away from cameras,” he says.
EBT card information is among the most frequently stolen data, and EBT card users typically get hit the hardest by the crime.
“EBT fraud targets the nation’s most vulnerable communities. Each month money is deposited in the accounts intended to help families pay for foods and basic need items. This enables criminals to time their withdrawals around the monthly deposits,” says Agent Ransom.
The Secret Service warns, regardless of the type of card, care is required.
“If you are using your debit card at a gas station, we encourage you to run it as a credit card instead of entering it in as your pin. This will help your pin remain safe and your funds are not automatically deducted from your account.”
And always protect your PIN – some skimmers use tiny cameras to capture the key pad – so you may want to cover your hand as you punch in the numbers.
Metro says, if you come across a skimming device, don’t touch it, instead call LVMPD at (702) 828-3111.
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