U.S. Secret Service takes action against credit card skimming | ABC Exclusive
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- čas přidán 25. 04. 2024
- ABC News got exclusive access as U.S. Secret Service agents blanket Las Vegas, hunting for the skimming devices that are often found at ATMs and self-checkouts as part of "Operation Sandblast."
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As a manager, it should be a daily check on all devices. Then we can catch them sooner.
You telling me as a manager you miss someone coming and installing a fake ones in your store? Say what??
@@rasul407wow a bit slow are ya?
I had my info and money stolen at a gas station. Lucky i had life lock and they notified me. Alot of stuff that be happening, i feel like the employees are in on it.
The machine manufacturers should inspect each machine and attach temper proof sticker. If you don't see it, don't use the machine
Employees could be part of the scammers. Did you conduct background check before offering the job? It seems like it's necessary now
I work at a costco gas station and we check every hour on the hour security stickers to make sure they match on our side and are not broken. I would think this is regular at every business.
Don't do it on the hour every hour, spread it out.
Your pumps are clean too. The retail stations pumps are always so dirty.
A lot of places barely have enough help
@@03221955 corporate rules unfortunately so we gotta
@@03221955 corporate rules but I see what you mean
It's about damn time. They got my EBT last year within an HOUR of my benefits posting and took MONTHS to fix.
That happened to my sister. It was horrible.
My mom ebt card got skimmed twice in a span of a few months. I made an online account for her and freeze the card until she's ready to use it.
Must be awful to have your taxpayer supported life messed with
@davidj8658 pray you don't ever lose your job. Pandemic brought reality to many who were so high minded, begging for government aid. 🙄 All of a sudden can't pay your mortgage, car payment, kid's tuition, etc. And what they'll give you while you fight for your next job or new career isn't 1/3 of what you made. 🤷♂️ Google cut, my sister lost her job, took 3 months before she could get an interview at a competitor, second month without an income someone stole her EBT food benefits a few minutes after her account was credited. By that time savings are practically nothing if not gone. Lucky she had family, not everyone is. Pretty annoyed, as a tax payer, it didn't work properly.
@@davidj8658 Except that there are a certain percentage of people who have had their homes stolen by the government and who are then forced to go on food stamps, which apparently in some cases now, is theft upon theft. I am helping one such person right now and speculate that there are thousands of similar such victims across the nation. Instead of making snide comments, why don't you do something constructive?
Very Best Regards,
Tom Scott
Author ● Speaker ● World's Leading Expert on the Corrupt U.S. Legal System
_Our American Injustice System_
_Stack the Legal Odds in Your Favor_
20 years of basically encouraging scammers.. NOW they finally pay attention.
Cause it's now costing the Govt money :D They don't care about citizens.
Agreed.
In the old days… you rob bread. You lose a hand
Now a days you steal 25 million $ … you get a couple of years in prison? Garbage
Something tells me a couple of bigwigs got hit and that’s the only reason they care
@@mikedawolf95A foolish assumption backed by literally nothing.
Screw em if they don't and screw em if they do lmao nothing ever satisfies you type of people eh?
People who work there could be in on it too
Theyll be on high alert with secret service on their tails then lol
Why dont we have cameras pointed at pumps. How doing someone install a skimmer without someone noticing
I know of two cases where it was a night clerk. Pump cameras 'malfunctioned'. Turned out to be a ring. They were caught within 48 hours by the owners. These were in rural areas as a freshman effort. Imagine if they were able to graduate to busy areas.
Reg employees don't have access to them btw
@@TurboAcura2has nothing to do with what he said
Showing signs of wear or damage? Brother that's 90% of most gas stations. This is why I only go to stations with tap to pay feature if I can, or I just download the app for whatever gas station I'm using. Which is usually only 76 or Chevron anyway.
Chevrons $1.00 off a gallon up to 25 gallons was fantastic 😂 could've gotten $2.65 when around was $3.80
@@Steve.._. $3.80/gallon is a great price for us Californians. Haven't seen that price since the start of COVID19 pandemic.
@@shaggydawg5419 straight up. it sucks
youd need to pay a dollar extra to get that discount tho @Steve.._.
Use cash
There’s something a lot of people probably don’t know about the Secret Service: they’re also in charge of investigating crimes involving the Treasury and counterfeit currency
They may also not know that the entire reason the Secret Service was set up I'm the first place was to combat the counterfeit currency crisis going on in the mid-1800s. So yep, you're on track!
I did not know that! Thanks for teaching
That lady’s hair though!😂
One could say she looked SHOCKED when she saw her funds were drained
Her hair was straight and plain until she saw her EBT card empty then SHOCK and RAGE transformed her. Classic origin story.
Always turns on alerts on all purchases!! You will see right away where your card was used and take action!!
It's happening for years. Back in 2018 I got skimmed in a gas station at Florida. I think gas station owners are on it. My debit card was charged $80 but good thing I called my bank asap and refunded me my money. Now, I always carry cash with me to pay gas
I’d demand that the access panels have tamper proof seals over the seams and lock, and the machine can only be opened with two employees or employee and official present to sign off on the integrity of the seal before and after.
Florida had seals like you describe from dept of agriculture. If they had to service a gas pump, someone would inspect for skimmers before applying a new seal. Governor DeSantis cancelled the program. We can not prove he was paid by organised crime.
We have investigated ourselves and found no wrong doing. Source: trust us, bro
“I demand government intervention.”
Makes you wonder who’s really behind this
Right! The gas pumps already have a seal. Surely they can do the same for the card reader!
@@ninehundreddollarluxuryyac5958 🤦🤦♂🤦♀
What about tap to pay? Is that more secure or more prone for scams
Yes it’s more secure but the tap to pay can also be replicated. Just always make sure by grabbing everything to see if anything comes off.
More secure. Tap to pay/NFC/Contsctless/Chip uses the EMV chip which calculates a single use authentication code for each transaction, so copying this doesn't authorize any other transactions unlike existing magnetic stripe which is fixed information of all the card information and simply skimmed & re-used. EMV isn't impossible to hack but extremely expensive and difficult so not really seen, magnetic stripe skimmers are much much cheaper and easily bought online. I use a mobile wallet since they are even more secure, requires unlocking the mobile wallet (password pin or biometrics) & a virtual card number is used that only allows for EMV payments unlike a normal card that still can transact with its number online or with swipe. Lots of EMV cards still have stripe so social engineering like disabling or dirtying tap to pay or the terminal just not having contactless/EMV/tap to pay, so you use swipe on a skimmer-installed terminal which is again copied. Gas stations, Walmart, convenience stores.
I use tap pay every time I make a purchase. Instead of using my wallet, I just use my Apple Watch to make my purchases too easy.
And critically ATMs debit/atm/EBT cards if skimmed means funds being directly drained, so your money is gone/frozen while fraud investigation happens unlike a credit card. Should always use ATMs inside a bank, preferably line of sight to employees & inspect for any skimmers: anything in the slot, any loose panels, anything on pin pad, or anything out of place like dirt on all but one clean machine, enticing you to use the skimmer installed one.
This is why I download apps related to the stores I normally shop at. If they offer an app to pay I'll take that. I do this with Chevron especially at locations I don't normally visit.
The POS system should have a safety feature to sense that is covered or tampered and sound a Siren. So easy to do.
I wish they'd shown us examples of real skimmers so we could really know what to look for, instead of the vague descriptions of a machine that's been tampered with. It would help to know exactly how the experts found the skimmers
Whoever is caught installing these devices should be locked up in federal prison for a minimum of 50 years.
No consumer has any idea what the proper condition of machines like these should be or look like
I always take a hard yank at atm machines at the store, just in case.
Sames , I always pick at them . I don’t trust them
Careful if you break it they will find a way to sue you for $100,000,000
@@Kbkbkbkb4 I hope you were joking but you don't have to break it, just pick or tug at the machine will do.
I do the same thing, then install my skimmer.
I always have a hard yank before reaching the atm 🥸
I don't understand one thing: why are the owners of premises with such things not punished? it's their building, their business, they should be charged with at least negligence,
should ensure the safety and well-being of buyers on their property
The store may not be responsible for the maintenance of the ATMs. The owner of the ATM is typically not the store.
In America corporations have more protection than individuals
Go back to your Pokemon, thats like asking why can't owners keep criminals from robbing the store at gunpoint.
We need to punish automobile manufacturers too for drunk driving.
@@UncleFjester That is a terrible comparison. All the stores or whoever is tasked with maintaining the equipment have to do to counter the skimmers is make a quick check on if any of the machines are abnormal or are tampered with. There is no safe counter to being robbed at gunpoint.
I called my bank Chase when my card was skimmed. Out of two withdrawals the crooks did they refunded me one. And I told them to do an investigation to see who used it. 'They didn't do no investigation. No wonder crooks don''t care about law enforcement.
It's not worth the money spent to go after someone in another country truth be told.
Chase is the worst. They deny almost all theft saying it's the customer's job to prove it wasn't them.
Most banks even that do an investigation will not , can not tell you who if they actually found anything. Privacy laws , believe it or not. You would have to try and file a police report for theft. And if the bank does make your account whole , that's it anyway.
Lmao- "yea let's spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on an investigation because one of our customers was slightly inconvenienced due to two $20 fraudulent charges - we refunded the customer's money and ate the loss ourselves, but the customer insists we investigate..."
Do not use debit cards outside of ATMs physically inside banks. Credit cards offer significantly more fraud protection for you by law.
getting rid of the magnetic stripe would fix the problem
What do you mean? Genuinely curious
what about the chips? the only way to fix this is paying with cash. Cash is king
so you rather have to go inside and pay cash?
No it won't
Bluetooth nfc receiver conveniently placed at a door, will pick up every person that walks through it. This is a way we will never win. Romanian crime know what they are doing
One idea would be to maybe put sensors so that when covered with the fake devices, it doesn't work or makes a loud sound.
How about mandating all businesses that have credit card machines have staff inspect them every 4 hours to check for a skimmer. That might eliminate a lot of theft. If it were their money, the businesses, they sure wouldn't mind checking frequently.
What if you're by yourself at night on a graveyard shift at a lonely gas station?
How about we get with the times and use Apple Pay or similar digital wireless payments? Anyway, gas station pumps and ATMs are the worst offenders and I never use either anymore so this problem doesn’t concern me much.
@@DecrepitBiden what?
Florida used to inspect gas pumps and put a seal over the lock so you could see if the seal was unbroken, nothing had been placed inside. Governor Ron DeSantis cancelled the program. If you vacation in Florida, go inside and pay cash, gas pumps are not safe here and the card reader on the counter may have a skimmer stuck over the reader.
1 year my sister must have had her card stolen over 5 times if not more. She says it's a normal thing. Yeah for idiots. Yes it can happen but your doing something wrong if you got taken more than 2 times.
Nothing is fool proof. Thieves could easily get those tamper proof stickers & put it on after they're done.
@DecrepitBiden Yea but the program had a official come through to do a inspection randomly.
Care to post where I can find info that the Gov canceled the program?
@@DecrepitBiden found the bootlicker
There’s a product that’s like a credit card but detects skimmers when you insert it. Also 7 eleven is on the rise with skimmers, so it’s not Europe 😂
always wondered why they couldn't have a hardened steel bar go over the reader so a skimmer couldn't be installed... but that would be to easy
too
@@billybob7891☝️🤓
Gas stations should be payable by mobile app
Nice...
Getting tired of checking every machine....
"Getting tired of checking every machine...." lol
Retailers almost never check their card machines for skimmers, they don't really care since they're not liable for the loss. The Card Terminal manufactures could also fix this issue but also don't care for the same reason. It's the banks, customers or governments problem.
That’s because they’re usually in on it
They are libel for credit card but not debit card losses because credit card companies will reverse the charges in cases of theft. Banks will not.
Thank you from we the people that need your help
Thank you
Don't thank them. They are doing it for them. Nevada itself lost around 5,000,000 in a month of food stamps. Meaning, peoples foodstamp cards got skimmed and Nevada had to reimburse. (Not all of it though)
@@Steve.._. still, this is greatly beneficial to us
If only $1 billion a year there must be a lot of underreporting of credit card skimming fraud
That doesn’t even make sense because this is a crime that everybody is definitely going to report. Unless you like people stealing money from you.
This is at every 7-11. Every single one has a skimmer. Do not use your card in a 7-11.
Don’t know how 711 is getting away with it .
When during my trip to CO, I stayed in a motel where you can't go get a bite to eat without a car. I grudgingly stop at 7-11 and they insisted that I use the magnetic stripe reader instead of the chip-card slot. Of course I just leave the stuff on the counter and walked out. Now at gas station, I only use contactless paying method as I don't even trust the chip-card readers.
Or use apple pay
@@maestrovsopay cash
Indians
It’s because the gas stations are in on it. Why not a class action lawsuit on the gas stations. Sue them. Watch they get their act together. But if no one does anything then this will continue.
hmmm🤔🤔 i dont think the owner would want some rando busting into his gas pump. but this definitely takes “making money in my basement” to a whole new level
Great to see the boys doing real community service... thank you
Theres a simple and cheap solution for the atm pads in the store. The store needs to put zip ties over the pad. So they cant slip the skimmer over it
😂😂😂 that lady hair look like the lady from problem child when she pushed the doorbell and her hair got electrocuted
and that off shoulder blouse.
Lady Fieri
No wonder she's on food stamps.
...she got a shock of her life after discovering that her food stamp card was emptied.
@@MusehanaH she may have to get a job and work for her food!!!!
Who recalls a few years ago when all financial institutions made us switch over to “chip cards” to prevent this exact thing ? Interesting
chips are way more secure - but if you insert your card to use the chip, and the car still has a magstripe, that stripe can still be skipped. The most secure is contactless, where your card is never out of your hand, never inserted in anything.
Chip cards are pretty safe, in particular when used for contactless payments. Thhat proably why the reports features Food stamps /EBT cards that apparently still use magnetic stripes that are easy to copy.
ABOUT DAMN TIME!
Government “stop stealing our future taxes”
CONSUMER GUIDE: 1) Don't use obviously tampered readers; 2) Check your balance promptly, and report fraudulent activity; 3) Use TAP-TO-PAY if possible; 4) Use credit cards, but if you MUST use a debit card, don't keep extra money in the account (and choose bank option to decline payment if insufficient funds); 5) Set up ALERTS to notify you every time a transaction occurs using your card.
Why don’t stores ask for id for credit debit card purchases
Don't these credit cards require a pin code to be entered when making purchases above certain amounts? Not thief-proof but it is added security
Debit cards require pin no matter the ammount. I dont see what asking id for purchases would protect you from a skimmer.@MusehanaH
@@forrestaustin7050almost all debit cards can be charged as credit by hitting the green button when the pin number entry appears, so yeah you can bipass the pin
Because it's not 1995 anymore.
@@MusehanaH I don't think that'll help because some of these skimmers can capture input from the keypad, including your PIN.
I believe some of these stores are complicit in this. If you're at the register how do you not see someone adding something or tampering with the card reader, how are you that busy? Especially the outside gas stations. The way that agent opened that machine up how do employees not see that?
Tips:
1. Keep your debit cards/ebt/credit cards locked at ALL times.
2. When using your debit card use it as credit to prevent the pin being exposed.
3. Most ebt card platforms have the ability to lock or freeze your card, block out of state transactions and online purchases.
4. If you receive Ebt benefits change your pin the night before your benefits hit. That way if your card has been compromised the scammers have the card number but no PIN number.
I’d like to utilize your card slot ma’am.
It's not always the _store_ as much as the employee(s) being paid min wage tempted to make a few extra bucks on the side.
Sad thing it’s 50% store owners who do this especially at drive through restaurants.
Why don't they do a trap card, scan it n trace where it goes
No matter what the store should be liable. The store should conduct a business professionally and take responsibility because the customer satisfaction and safety is first in business transaction. The store is liable first.
Your method does more harm than good. People would then blame any store with self checkout for why they just had money taken out. You move the problem from skimmers to stores and stores just take the hit and increase costs.
Cash it is
Now I'm paranoid. I just set up alerts on my credit cards to text me to report every transaction.
My mom ebt card got skimmed twice in a span of a few months. I made an online account for her and freeze the card until she's ready to use it.
Uh finally??
Why is Secret Service involved? Shouldn't FBI investigate this?
Secret Service handles money issues.
The original purpose of the Secret Service was anti-counterfeiting currency
Maybe because the FBI is corrupt to the core? Secret Service might only be slightly better.
Secret service protects the governments money. That has always been their only objective. They protect the president because of how expensive it is for the people who own us to make a new one.
Plenty of agencies will handle fraud cases.
You can buy a SKIM REAPER or HUNTER CAT device that detects a skimmer at pumps, ATMs , etc. Make sure your wallet has an RFID protector. People can steal your information standing next to you
I have brought to the attention of managers - devices that looked odd, and each time they act as though its an inconvenience not to be troubled with.
What about tap to pay? Is that more secure or more prone for scams?
Tap to pay and chips are always always better than swipe. I never use swipe.
Tap is the very best method for the time being, the chip and mag stripe can be skimmed.
Just make sure if you use Tap at a bank atm for a withdrawal, that you close or official end the transaction after getting your money. There, they use a mini camera under the keypad shroud and get your PIN, and then (unless and until it’s changed), if you did the card tap way, the screen stays open and asks if you want another transaction, but doesn’t make you enter your PIN again, and the scammer will be there and come right up behind you and make a withdrawal. So always make sure to end the transaction.
tap and chip have some kind of encryption/authentication that actually challenges the transaction being made.. mag strip has a lot of easy to decrypt info on it, like your exact card number.
Tap and pay one of the worst things you can do with your card, so is banking of any kind on your phone.
Heyy man did he just call us poor :( 1:00
...literally implying that only the poor get their card skimmed 😉
Oh wow! Look, government actually caring and doing something! Wow!!
The atms in my school campus has been replaced by flat panels without seam or break. It’s just 1 whole sheet with touchscreen. There’s nothing you can poke or glue as they found a lot of skimmers last year.
Another problem is the people who work at these gas stations often know there’s device and they get a cut secretly. They pretend that they had no idea the device was there.
That's why I have cash aside strictly when purchasing gas or items inside such store locations. I do not trust and will not use my card at these locations.
You're not liable for fraudulent charges using credit cards. Carrying cash is more risky because if you lose it or you get robbed, it's gone forever.
You can use a hunter cat to detect if there is a skimmer
Why are EBT cards still using old magnetic stripe technology?
In France the best skimming is from Roumanie
the secret service?
The secret service is a division under the department of the treasury, they were first created to go after counterfeiters
The Secret Service has primary jurisdiction to investigate threats against Secret Service protectees as well as financial crimes, which include counterfeiting of U.S. currency or other U.S. Government obligations; forgery or theft of U.S. Treasury checks, bonds or other securities; credit card fraud; telecommunications fraud; computer fraud, identify fraud and certain other crimes affecting federally insured financial institutions.
@@davediamond9436 printing so much money should be investigated. it's skimming all of us.
Ya im sure the government is actuality going to stop this. 😂😂😂
Now if we check we will be accused of tampering 😢
What does the Secret Service have to do with it?
Right. Should be FBI.
A quick google search will tell you the original purpose of the Secret Service js
They deal with counterfeit money. it is the their job
Because this is the kind of thing they do.. They don't just protect the president
The secret service is a division under the department of the treasury, they were first created to go after counterfeiters
Don't use small stores to buy food. Just use the large grocery stores and you won't have any problems.
Every manager at every business that has a card reader MUST start checking the machines every day at the start of the business day AND the end.
That reporter is the best. Love the story!
Stop using card and use contactless/cardless ATM
Well.. thank God...
Or install a sensor that’s beeps loud when the pump is moved beyond a certain level. And makes a huge scene while it’s triggered. That’ll stop em
I’ve seen store owners put sticker hooks on the card readers to tell if they’ve been tampered with
I like that Costco uses a red tags on their credit card machines with matching serial numbers.
Bc it started affecting them?
A Skimmer Detector built into every Card Scanner could alert Bank Managers and Cashiers immediately.
An ATM Camera could capture a good picture of the Crook installing it.
Maybe install some tamper alert light in the machines, say if it's been opened a big ass red light turns on and can only be turned off by the company who installed them.
all the places by me have a great tool to prevent skimming on credit card readers in stores. they all have a big piece of plastic on all four sides of the reader so if you tried to put a skimmer on the plastic pieces would prevent the skimmer from being able to go over the machine. outside of that your best protection is just use the tap to pay feature. every new credit card from every bank has it
Its sad because on one has the time or the know how of what to check for
Use a temporary card like Revolut to transfer the needed funds to and then pay using that rather than your main debit/credit card.
Just at my local grocery stores and the cashier said their ATM is now being checked every hour at every grocery store every day because one there grocery stores in a different county got hit with fake ATM readers.🤬🤬🤬
At our local bank they removed a skimmer, it was back three days later.
This is why cash is better.
I am amazed that the US stil requires you to swipe a card to pay. Australia moved to chip and pin and contactless payments years ago.
they should take action everywhere
NEVER use your debit card for purchases!!! Get a no fee credit card, and use that for all purchases. Pay the statement balance IN FULL every month to avoid paying interest. By law, you are not liable for fraudulent credit card purchases.
Yeah ok I wouldn’t hold my breath
Tap to pay is way less secure. It's RF and any directional antenna pointed at the tap to pay can pick it up a quarter mile away.
Many gas stations have a tamper evident seal at the pumps. Look for this before refueling and say something to a clerk if you notice the seal was broken.
Some store clerks are the ones doing too
Skimmer tech is so simple that we need another credit card form factor. One without a mag strip, reworked security chip and two Factor auth potentially.
It’s about freaking time!
This is a very good effort from the authorities. I hope they would also catch the perpetrators soon.
Normally a staff member is the one installing and removing the device.
They should just go to NY 7-11s. Don’t forget to check that atm at the back there.
It's why i go to Costco gas, they are so busy with cars lining up and there are always employees around. They also only accept Visa.
Years later!!
The US Secret Service should arrest the high level staffs at EBT card for failure to transition to chipped-card.
My grocery store installs a cage around the reader. A very simple answer for card readers at checkout.
Can skimmers get access to CC information through the “tap” feature ?
We need more people