During Operation Potomac, conducted January 29-30, 2025, the Secret Service partnered with Fairfax, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Prince William, and Arlington County Police Departments, and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department to inspect 6,561 terminals at 879 businesses across the National Capital Region. Following the recent Operation Potomac, where law enforcement agencies recovered multiple skimming devices from businesses throughout the DC area, authorities emphasize consumer vigilance’s importance in protecting personal financial information. Credit card skimming involves criminals installing illegal devices on ATMs, gas pumps, and merchant point-of-sale terminals to steal payment card data. According to Security Service estimates, EBT skimming alone costs financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion annually, with each skimmer potentially facilitating approximately $300,000 in fraud. Modern detection technologies like the “Skim Reaper” utilize specialized measurement cards to detect the presence of additional read heads—a telltale sign of skimming equipment. The operation recovered 27 skimming devices, preventing an estimated $7.2 million in potential fraud losses. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. “They’re stealing money from people who need it badly to buy essentials to live, and what they’re doing with the money is they’re going out to buy lavish things,” McCool noted. The Secret Service also recommends using contactless payment methods, as these transactions minimize physical interaction with potentially compromised terminals.
This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Fri, 25 Apr 2025 06:05:03 +0000