CLEVELAND — The United States Secret Service is warning Greater Cleveland consumers to be careful with their debit and credit cards. Agents at the Secret Service's Cleveland Field Office are currently investigating about 20 cases of credit card skimming in the area.
"It's concerning for everyone in the Cleveland area because it takes people's hard-earned money," said Blaine Forschen, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Cleveland Field Office.
On Tuesday, Forschen told 3News that roughly $1 million has been stolen in the area through card skimming in the last year.
He added that the suspects are organized crime groups from Eastern Europe who are traveling around the U.S. and have made their way to Ohio in recent months. They're targeting ATM machines at banks, as well as pin pad machines at registers in places like Giant Eagle.
Forschen explained that it only takes mere seconds for criminals to put their skimming devices into or onto these machines. They take sensitive information, like your card number and expiration date, off the magnetic stripe on your credit or debit card when you swipe.
He advises you use your card's tap-to-pay or EMV chip to make safer purchases. He also recommends inspecting ATMs and pin pad machines for anything suspicious. If something seems off, report it.
But both Forschen and Case Western Reserve University Law Professor and Consumer Protection Expert Cathy Lesser Mansfield said people who use EBT cards from the government food stamp program are the most vulnerable, because those cards don't have alternative options like tap-to-pay or chips on the card, but only the magnetic stripe.
"It's concerning for us, for consumers, because depending on what payment system you use, it may be hard to get the money back," Mansfield said. "It's also causes a huge pain to have to replace all your credit cards or your debit card. For people who are on electronic benefits, who pretty much they need the money now, just the time it takes to get that straightened out can really cause a problem for affording daily stuff, diapers and formula and food and that sort of thing. From a societal perspective, it skims a lot of money off of the financial system, and these crooks are getting away with the money."
3News reached out to Giant Eagle Tuesday to ask for an update on the card skimming situations that happened at several Cleveland area locations, including stores in Parma, Brooklyn, and South Euclid.
"Giant Eagle did discover five skimming devices in November of 2023," spokeswoman Jannah Jablonowski told us. "Once the devices were identified, we immediately engaged the appropriate authorities to investigate the matter, and we took the necessary steps to inform local consumers. We have retrained store Team Members on identifying skimmer devices and implemented enhancements to our existing inspection process for PIN pads. Giant Eagle Team Members conduct twice daily inspections of all PIN pads. Importantly, no additional devices have been identified since November."
Forschen said the U.S. Secret Service is hoping to make some arrests of those involved in these card skimming crime rings in the next four to six months.