Secret Service Targets Thieves Stealing SNAP Benefits In Texas

Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Fraudsters used special devices to skim card information from electronic devices used to read food stamp cards in northern and central Texas, the U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office reported April 15.

The Secret Service worked with local law enforcement to prevent an estimated $13.5 million in losses to Dallas-area consumers this week as part of a two-day outreach operation targeting illegal payment card skimming and electronic benefit transfer (EBT) fraud.

“EBT fraud is a serious threat impacting families nationwide,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office Christina Foley. “Our investigative teams are committed to dismantling these skimmer operations and holding perpetrators accountable.”

Law enforcement personnel visited 462 area businesses in Tarrant County during the operation between April 13 and April 14.

Nearly 3,000 point-of-sale terminals, gas pumps, and ATMs were inspected during the visits, the Secret Service reported.

Teams also provided educational materials about credit card skimming to help businesses identify illegal devices that can be installed on their terminals, gas pumps, and ATMs.

The FBI estimates skimming costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year. Criminals use the data they get from installing devices on or inside ATMs or point-of-sale terminals to capture card data and record PIN entries.

Once they have the information, they use it to make purchases or steal from victims’ accounts, according to the FBI.

SNAP benefits can also be skimmed, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency suggests people avoid using simple PINs and keeping the information private by not sharing it and changing the PIN often. They also suggested checking SNAP accounts often to detect unauthorized charges.

“The individuals behind these schemes are relentless, but so are we,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Peck of the Secret Service Criminal Investigative Division. “Through coordinated efforts and innovative investigative methods, we are disrupting their operations and ensuring that those who exploit vulnerable families are brought to justice.”

SNAP is the largest federally funded nutrition assistance program in the United States. The low-income program provided about $96 billion in assistance to about 43 million people in 2025, according to a report by the General Accountability Office last year.

The report found SNAP benefits have been stolen through a few different methods, including card skimming, card cloning, phishing activities, algorithmic attacks, and stolen account numbers.

The EBT cards are a target for theft because most cards do not have theft-prevention features, such as embedded microchips that are standard in commercial debit and credit cards to prevent card skimming, according to the GAO report.

“Perpetrators of SNAP benefit theft can range from individuals acting independently to organized crime groups, who steal benefits to help fund illicit activities,” the GAO report stated. “Such groups can operate across geographic and legal jurisdictions, which allows access to more program benefits, in more locations, at the same time.”

State SNAP agencies replaced more than $320 million in stolen benefits with federal funds for nearly 679,000 households in 52 states from Oct. 1, 2022, through Dec. 20, 2024, according to the report.