Plano police have dialed up the heat on financial fiends with a major sweep operation called "Sanitize the City," targeting the hidden menace of ATM skimming devices. The cops teamed up with heavy hitters like the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations, and the U.S. Secret Service, according to the Plano Texas Police Department.
On February 15, some 30 local, state, and federal law enforcement officials swarmed over 500 potential hot spots including ATMs, retail stores, and gas pumps across Plano. Their mission was to proactively seek out and shut down crooks using skimming devices to swipe people's financial info. While they didn't hit the jackpot by finding any devices, they did sniff out signs of tampering at several stops, hinting that skimmers have been busy.
The Plano Police detailed the operation's outcome in their advisory, saying, "Our operation’s success was due to the combined efforts of all of these agencies as well as the detection tools provided by the USSS." They emphasized that even though no devices were netted, the proactive search is a critical move to prevent Plano residents from falling prey to such scams, as per the Plano Texas Police Department.
"The Secret Service works hand in hand with our law enforcement partners to help quickly protect communities from financial crime," Christina Foley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office, explained. She also pointed out, "By being proactive with these investigations, we are able to not only prevent residents from becoming victims, but gather the intelligence needed to track down those responsible and put a stop to these criminal operations", per the Plano Texas Police Department.
The Plano Police are sticking to their guns, continuing their vigilance against the threats of financial crime. The department is sounding the call to action for any info folks might have about skimmers or related suspicious activity to dial them up at 972-941-2148. With Plano's finest on the watch, skimmers best think twice before sliding anything sneaky into the city's machines.
