BALTIMORE, MD—A proactive, multi-jurisdictional operation led by the U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement in the Baltimore region successfully removed 22 illegal card skimming devices this week, preventing an estimated nearly $22.9 million in potential losses to fraud, the agency announced on Friday.
The Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) fraud and payment card skimming outreach operation took place on October 22-23, 2025, and involved personnel from the Secret Service, multiple local police departments, sheriff’s offices, and the Maryland Department of Human Services.
Teams visited 493 businesses and inspected more than 3,000 point-of-sale terminals, gas pumps, and ATMs in Baltimore and the surrounding areas. The effort focused on identifying and removing the hidden devices criminals use to steal card data, particularly from EBT cards used by vulnerable populations for government assistance…