US Secret Service Seized 13 Skimmers, Stopped $13.5M of Possible Fraud in Miami

The U.S. Secret Service Miami Field Office, working with the Hialeah and Homestead police departments, prevented an estimated $13.5 million in potential fraud losses this week as part of Operation Heat Check, an outreach operation targeting illegal payment card skimming and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) fraud.

During the operation, law enforcement personnel visited 378 businesses and conducted 2,842 inspections of point-of-sale terminals, gas pumps and ATMs throughout the Miami area. Teams located and removed 13 illegal skimming devices.

Teams also distributed educational materials and provided businesses with information to help employees identify illegal skimming devices and better protect their customers from financial fraud.

“Miami is a global city, home to millions of residents and one of the most visited destinations in the United States. That visibility also makes South Florida an attractive target for criminal actors seeking to exploit hardworking consumers and businesses.

“Operation Heat Check demonstrates that, alongside our local partners, the U.S. Secret Service is committed to identifying and pursuing those who prey on South Florida communities. Our approach is proactive. Rather than waiting for consumers to become victims, we are working with businesses to help them recognize and report skimming devices before more people are impacted.

“Partnerships with law enforcement, businesses and our communities are essential to disrupting these crimes and protecting the public,” Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Miami Field Office Michael Townsend said.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted Operation Heat Check in partnership with the Hialeah Police Department and Homestead Police Department. The effort is part of an ongoing nationwide initiative by the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners to combat payment card skimming, EBT fraud and other forms of financial crime.

Criminals steal payment card information by installing illegal skimming devices on ATMs, gas pumps and merchant point-of-sale terminals. These devices can capture information from a victim’s card, allowing criminals to make fraudulent purchases, withdraw funds or encode the stolen information onto another card.

Skimming can have a particularly devastating impact on victims who rely on EBT benefits to purchase food and other necessities. Criminal organizations involved in skimming operations can move quickly between communities and jurisdictions.

The U.S. Secret Service investigates a wide range of financial crimes, including payment card fraud, access device fraud and other criminal activity targeting the nation’s financial infrastructure.

In 2025, law enforcement personnel removed more than 400 illegal skimming devices during these operations, 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:

• 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.

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