Secret Service targets fraud technology at Fort Worth businesses

North Texas skimming fraud targeted by Secret Service

The Secret Service spent this week in Tarrant County targeting skimming machines that can steal personal and government money from businesses. FOX 4's Shaun Rabb has more.

FORT WORTH, Texas - The Secret Service recently wrapped up an operation in North Texas that targeted technology that steals information and money from bank cards and EBT cards with one swipe.

Secret Service in North Texas

What we know:

The initiative is called ORION, which stands for Organized Response and Intelligence Operations Nationwide.

The operation targets skimmers, which are devices that can be placed at the point of sale at businesses and can steal government benefits from debit-style cards.

The Secret Service says one skimming device can steal over $1 million depending on how long and how often it is used.

The Secret Service spent Monday and Tuesday searching businesses in Tarrant County for the devices. Stores included large businesses and smaller specialty stores.

Ten teams of agents looked through more than 15,00 points of sale terminals, like ATMs in convenience stores and gas station pumps. At least ten devices were recovered in Tarrant County during the operation.

What they're saying:

Mike Peck, the assistant special agent in charge of the operation, says the operation has saved $573 million from being stolen by fraud as part of the ORION initiative.

"When we started the overall ORION initiative, it came down to the fact that we were going to combat efforts that were stealing from the poor, and it continues today," Peck said.

Corey Graves

We're not going to Sak's, we're not going to Neiman Marcus, we're not going to the high-end retailers," said Corey Graves, an agent working on the ORION initiative. 

"What we're doing is an educational outreach, and we're going to all the locations that accept EBT."

Local perspective:

Anna Silva is a victim of skimmer fraud, and says she's glad the Secret Service is targeting the issue.

"A lot of people think that EBT cannot be cloned, but it is possible. It's very possible," Silva said. "It was like the next day, literally like within hours of it being loaded on to the card."

Anna Silva

Abdul Mohammed, a store owner who was visited by Secret Service agents this week, says he's also glad to see his visitors.

"I have seen customers that have been complaining," Mohammed said. "They came here, and they were trying to buy something and there was no money on it, you know, and they were confused."

Dig deeper:

Congressional authority to replace government funds stolen by fraud ran out in 2024. That left authority up to states to decide whether to reimburse victims.

Texas leadership made the decision not to replace stolen funds.