U.S. Secret Service Miami Field Office Operation Heat Check Nets 13 Illegal Skimming Devices, Prevents Estimated $13.5 Million in Fraud Losses

MIAMI - The U.S. Secret Service Miami Field Office, working with the Hialeah and Homestead police departments, prevented an estimated $13.5 million in potential fraud losses this week as part of Operation Heat Check, an outreach operation targeting illegal payment card skimming and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) fraud.

During the operation, law enforcement personnel visited 378 businesses and conducted 2,842 inspections of point-of-sale terminals, gas pumps and ATMs throughout the Miami area. Teams located and removed 13 illegal skimming devices.

Teams also distributed educational materials and provided businesses with information to help employees identify illegal skimming devices and better protect their customers from financial fraud.

"Miami is a global city, home to millions of residents and one of the most visited destinations in the United States. That visibility also makes South Florida an attractive target for criminal actors seeking to exploit hardworking consumers and businesses.

"Operation Heat Check demonstrates that, alongside our local partners, the U.S. Secret Service is committed to identifying and pursuing those who prey on South Florida communities. Our approach is proactive. Rather than waiting for consumers to become victims, we are working with businesses to help them recognize and report skimming devices before more people are impacted.

"Partnerships with law enforcement, businesses and our communities are essential to disrupting these crimes and protecting the public," Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Miami Field Office Michael Townsend said.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted Operation Heat Check in partnership with the Hialeah Police Department and Homestead Police Department. The effort is part of an ongoing nationwide initiative by the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners to combat payment card skimming, EBT fraud and other forms of financial crime.

Criminals steal payment card information by installing illegal skimming devices on ATMs, gas pumps and merchant point-of-sale terminals. These devices can capture information from a victim's card, allowing criminals to make fraudulent purchases, withdraw funds or encode the stolen information onto another card.

Skimming can have a particularly devastating impact on victims who rely on EBT benefits to purchase food and other necessities. Criminal organizations involved in skimming operations can move quickly between communities and jurisdictions, making coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies critical.

The U.S. Secret Service investigates a wide range of financial crimes, including payment card fraud, access device fraud and other criminal activity targeting the nation's financial infrastructure.