Skimming off the top
State police, Secret Service partner to look for fraudulent card readers
You swipe your card, take your purchase and walk out of the store.
It’s a pretty common scenario. It’s also one that can leave you with less money in the bank or less room on your credit card.
Skimming and shimming cases are on the rise everywhere, said state police Trooper Kalee Barnhart.
Both are designed to take information that enables thieves to essentially clone credit and debit cards (skimmers from the magnetic strip on the back, shimmers from the rectangular chip on the front).
That data can be used to withdraw money and make unauthorized purchases. It can also be sold online, Barnhart said, and “happens around here more than we know.”
Often, it’s only discovered when money goes missing from a bank account, or the balance on a credit card unexpectedly jumps. The devices cost U.S. financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion annually, according to data from the U.S. Secret Service.
Starting last week, the agency partnered with state police to conduct spot checks at businesses looking for the devices.
What are they?
Skimmers use fake overlays that are almost identical to the front of an ATM or point-of-sale terminals in a store or at a gas pump, Barnhart said. Shimmers are placed inside of the card reader.
Both take seconds to install and remove, Barnhart said.
When someone places a debit or credit card into the slot of a card reader, the device captures the card’s data. Then, thieves retrieve that data via Bluetooth, an SD card or by removing the device and downloading the data.
Self-checkouts, card readers at gas pumps and ATMs are prime targets for the devices, Barnhart said.
How to spot them
There is no way to be 100% certain a card reader is safe to use, but taking some precautions can reduce the risks.
Before withdrawing money from an ATM or swiping your card, Barnhart suggested looking at the machines for unusual looking card readers, keypads that look bulkier than normal or stickers in strange places
Barnart also suggested giving the card reader a gentle tug – emphasis on gentle – to see if it’s loose. If it is, she recommended contacting the local police department to report it.
Ironically, police can use the data from a skimmer that’s been discovered to trace back when the device was placed, and check video surveillance to see who placed it, she said.
“If we have the skimmer in hand, with the Secret Service, we can work together and hopefully make an arrest,” she said.
Guarding your money
Would-be thieves will place skimmers or shimmers “on the easiest locations for them,” Barnhart said. That means out of sight of cameras, or in places that are poorly lit. She suggested using ATMs inside of banks when possible.
So are there safe ways to use a debit or credit card at stores?
“They’ve not figured out how to steal information using Apple Pay or Google Pay,” said Barnhart.
Using the tap-to-pay feature on a card also adds an extra layer of security, she said.
And there is one fool-proof way to find out if someone is skimming from one of your accounts: “Keep track of your statements to make sure your purchases are yours,” said Barnhart.
If something seems suspicious, reach out to the bank or credit card company. They’ll cancel the card if the purchase is fraudulent.
Prevention efforts
The partnership with state police and the Secret Service – Operation Skimmer Community Check – builds on an initiative that is taking place across the country. In 2025, the Secret Service partnered with law enforcement to visit 9,000 stores across the country, checking 60,000 gas pumps, point-of-sale terminals and ATMs.
Michael Peck, the assistant special agent in charge in the Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division, said many business owners are surprised when the checks are done.
“It has happened multiple times when a manager tells us they have checked their store. We ask if we can check. They give us the go-ahead, and we spot a skimmer right away,” Peck said in a release issued by the Secret Service.
Western Pennsylvania isn’t immune from this type of fraud. Cases crop up often, said Barnhart. One of the bigger ones occurred in 2022 when two men placed skimmers at self-checkouts in Sam’s Club locations in Washington, Allegheny and Butler counties.
The amount of money stolen was never specified, but monetary loss isn’t the only thing victims of skimming and shimming contend with.
“It feels like a violation of your privacy when your information is stolen,” Barnhart said.
Businesses interested in having their machines or card readers checked can email rogagliard@pa.gov.