Federal agents fanned out across New York City on Thursday, launching a three-day sweep aimed at tracking down and yanking hidden card skimmers that let thieves drain SNAP and other benefits at bodegas, corner stores and gas pumps. The operation paired Secret Service technical teams with local police and federal partners to comb through point-of-sale terminals and ATMs across the five boroughs. Officials say they zeroed in on overlay skimmers and tiny cameras that can capture account and PIN data and ship it back to organized fraud rings within hours.
According to ABC7 New York, Special Agent Matt McCool said the agency deployed 14 teams into stores and followed up on recent sweeps that have turned up dozens of devices. "The last operation, we found 65 over the three days. The one before that, we found 55. The last year we found a total of 133," McCool told the station, estimating that those efforts helped prevent roughly $139 million in potential losses. McCool warned that investigators will "knock on your doors" and hold those involved accountable, per the ABC7 report.
A Long-Running Problem In The City
In a 2025 report, the New York City Department of Investigation detailed the scale of EBT theft, finding that the city reimbursed about $48.6 million in stolen benefits between August 2023 and March 2025 and that investigators recovered roughly 55 skimming devices during a recent sweep. The report urges modernizing EBT with EMV chips and lays out recommendations for agencies and retailers to cut the risk to clients who rely on those benefits.
How Skimmers Get In, Fast
Investigators say many modern skimmers are thin overlays or keypad shells that sit on top of legitimate card readers and capture both magnetic-stripe data and PIN entries, sometimes with help from pinhole cameras. Detective James Lilla told ABC7 New York that a device can be installed "in all of two seconds," which is why law enforcement keeps pushing for routine checks of terminals.
What Investigators Want Shoppers And Stores To Do
The U.S. Secret Service recommends inspecting ATMs and point-of-sale terminals for loose, crooked or mismatched parts, shielding PIN entries while typing, and choosing chip or contactless payments when possible. In its public advisory, the U.S. Secret Service also urges merchants to train staff, secure machines with visible seals and sign up for transaction alerts so suspicious activity can be spotted quickly.
Legal Consequences And The Push For Reform
City and federal officials say accountability for skimming operations can range from criminal charges to administrative sanctions, including revoking a store’s ability to accept benefits. The New York City Department of Investigation backs state legislation to add EMV chips to EBT cards, and New York City Council records show local elected officials pressing for stronger protections and oversight.
Officials say sweeps like this will keep coming as skimming tactics evolve, although experts do not always agree on how to measure the full scope of SNAP fraud nationwide. For broader context on the national debate over SNAP fraud and enforcement priorities, see reporting from The Associated Press.
