## Secret Service Dallas Busts $13.5M SNAP Skimming Ring Targeting Texas Grocery Stores
The U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office has disrupted a sophisticated fraud ring using card-skimming devices to steal food stamp benefits from vulnerable families across northern and central Texas. In a targeted two-day operation, federal agents and local law enforcement prevented an estimated $13.5 million in losses to Dallas-area consumers by dismantling illegal payment card and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) skimming operations.

The fraudsters deployed specialized devices to skim card information directly from the electronic terminals used to process SNAP benefits at grocery stores. The Secret Service, working with local partners, conducted outreach at 462 businesses in Tarrant County, identifying and neutralizing the skimming infrastructure. Special Agent in Charge Christina Foley labeled EBT fraud a "serious threat impacting families nationwide," underscoring the agency's focus on holding perpetrators accountable.

This operation highlights a growing, organized criminal threat to the federal safety net, directly targeting low-income households reliant on nutritional assistance. The scale of the prevented loss—$13.5 million—signals the potential magnitude of such schemes. The Secret Service's public warning and proactive business outreach indicate a shift toward preventing fraud at the point of sale, applying financial crime investigative tactics to protect a critical public welfare program from high-tech theft.
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- **Source**: ZeroHedge
- **Sector**: The Vault
- **Tags**: SNAP, EBT Fraud, Card Skimming, Secret Service, Texas
- **Credibility**: unverified
- **Published**: 2026-04-16 21:52:39
- **ID**: 68198
- **URL**: https://whisperx.ai/en/intel/68198