Federal law enforcement agencies removed 17 payment card skimming devices across the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area during a three-day coordinated operation, preventing an estimated $17.7 million in potential financial losses.
Investigators visited 328 local businesses and inspected more than 1,700 point-of-sale terminals, fuel dispensers, and automated teller machines during the sweep. Alongside the hardware removals, federal personnel distributed educational materials regarding electronic benefit transfer (EBT) fraud and payment card skimming to help merchants identify unauthorized hardware installed by criminals.
“This operation demonstrates the commitment of the United States Secret Service with the protection of businesses and consumers frente a la creciente amenaza del robo de datos de tarjetas de pago,” declared Armando Márquez, special agent in charge of the United States Secret Service Los Angeles Field Office, highlighting the ongoing threat to innocent citizens.
Authorities noted that the Los Angeles sweep mirrors broader nationwide outreach initiatives directed by the Secret Service to combat financial crime. Law enforcement personnel recovered more than 400 illegal data-capture devices nationwide throughout 2025, neutralizing estimated potential fraud losses totaling $428 million.
How Skimming Devices Target Consumers and Businesses
Skimming devices capture information from EBT cards and other payment card numbers and encode the stolen data onto other magnetic stripe cards.
Financial institutions and consumers lose more than one billion dollars annually to card skimming schemes nationwide.
Consumer Safety and Protection Guidelines
Federal consumer protection advisories outline several practical steps individuals can take to minimize their risk of falling victim to card skimming operations:
- Inspect card readers: Check ATMs, gas station pumps, and retail payment terminals for loose, crooked, damaged, or scratched components before inserting a card.
- Choose chip or contactless options: Opt for contactless payment methods or chip inserts rather than swiping magnetic stripes whenever possible.
- Shield your PIN: At fuel pumps and standalone terminals, select debit transactions as credit when available, or manually cover the keypad while entering a PIN.
- Select secure ATMs: Utilize cash machines located inside well-lit, enclosed financial institutions rather than isolated outdoor units.
- Remain vigilant in tourist areas: Exercise heightened caution when making transactions in high-traffic commercial zones and popular visitor destinations.
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