Mom-and-pop shops are easy targets for card skimmers in South Florida, Secret Service says
Credit card skimmers are a growing problem across South Florida, and the U.S. Secret Service is now going door to door at local businesses to try to stop them.
CBS News Miami rode along with federal agents as they visited multiple businesses in southwest Miami-Dade as part of an operation called "Heat Check." The goal was to educate business owners about skimming devices and how to spot them.
Skimmers are illegal devices criminals attach to ATMs, gas pumps, and checkout registers to steal credit card data. It only takes seconds to install one, agents said.
The Secret Service provided surveillance video showing how it works. In the footage, one man distracts a cashier at a checkout register while another, wearing sunglasses, attaches a skimmer to the credit card terminal.
"It's very easy for them to actually put the skimmer on," said Tom Olsza, a U.S. Secret Service agent who led the ride-along.
Agents stopped at gas stations and convenience stores, including a Stop & Go location, to walk owners through what to look for.
"I think it's great to inform the community of typical scams that are going on," said Albert Raaheb, manager of the Stop & Go.
Olsza said the people who suffer most are everyday consumers, particularly those who rely on government assistance.
"You're taking money from a person who needs that money drastically, especially EBT accounts," Olsza said.
EBT, or Electronic Benefit Transfer, is the debit-style card that replaced traditional paper food stamps.
Juan Perez, a shopper who uses his EBT card for groceries, said the outreach matters to him.
"I swipe my card when I pay. I have not been a victim, but I am glad they are now informing us because we feel vulnerable," Perez said.
Matt Fagiana, the Secret Service's public affairs officer, said mom-and-pop businesses are frequent targets because criminals assume their owners have less knowledge about the threat.
"They tend to think there's a lack of knowledge by those business owners," Fagiana said.
Agents said they were pleasantly surprised at some of what they found. At one stop, Gladys Ochos, who owns an Argentinian cafeteria and market, already had upgraded equipment.
"This is a newer and more secure point of sale model," Ochos said.
The Secret Service said organized international crime rings are typically behind these skimming operations. Operation Heat Check is part of a broader federal effort to reduce crime across South Florida.