HOMESTEAD, Fla. — A device attached to an ordinary payment terminal can be nearly impossible for shoppers to spot, but authorities say it can give criminals access to sensitive card information in seconds.

The U.S. Secret Service and Homestead Police Department are searching South Florida businesses for card skimmers — devices designed to steal information from credit and debit cards.

Local 10’s Jolena Esperto joined authorities during an operation targeting the devices and learned how quickly criminals can install them.

Surveillance video from businesses in Homestead and West Miami showed men using a silver pan to obstruct the view of employees while allegedly tampering with payment terminals.

At Mexico Market in Homestead, manager Sergio Carballo said employees once caught suspects attempting to tamper with a machine.

“One of them talked to the cashier,” Carballo said. “He tells her, ‘Show me one of those medicines.’ He holds the pan right in front of the machine, while other one is right here doing his thing.”

Carballo said an employee noticed something was wrong.

“We closed the register right away,” he said. “I had to compare with this one because you really can’t tell.”

Skimming devices can be made to look nearly identical to legitimate payment terminals and placed directly over the existing keypad or card reader, making them difficult for customers and employees to detect.

Once installed, the devices can capture information from cards that are swiped or inserted.

During the operation, authorities inspected payment terminals at several Dollar General and Dollar Tree locations, along with smaller businesses such as Mexico Market.

Skimmers are not limited to store checkout counters. A Local 10 employee previously used a gas pump that was later found to have a skimming device attached to it.

Stores that accept Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT, cards are also targets, according to authorities.

Jason Harris with the U.S. Secret Service said when criminals steal government benefits through skimming, the financial impact can extend beyond the individual victim.

“It’s money that the government has given as benefits, but those funds are fraudulently diverted to the criminals,” Harris said. “It means it’s costing taxpayer dollars because government has to reimburse those people for the funds lost.”

While accompanying investigators, Local 10 spoke with Betty Coats as she shopped at a Dollar General.

Coats said she has experienced credit card fraud and believes a skimmer may have been responsible.

“You have to go through a lot of work when you have credit card fraud,” Coats said. “You have to go through so many channels just to get your identity.”

She said the experience changed the way she pays for purchases. Coats now tries to use cash or tap-to-pay rather than inserting or swiping her card.

The Secret Service and local law enforcement continue working to identify and remove skimming devices before more consumers — and taxpayers — become victims.

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