They Can Steal Your Card in Seconds — Here’s How Skimmers Are Getting Installed Without Anyone Noticing

From Dollar Tree to anywhere with a card reader — criminals are getting smarter, faster, and bolder.

Gloversville — A skimming device recently discovered inside a local store has now been linked to EBT theft, and it’s got people across the Mohawk Valley asking the same thing:

How does someone even get that on a machine without getting caught?

Here’s the truth — it doesn’t take much.

These devices aren’t big, clunky pieces of equipment anymore. They’re small, fast to install, and designed to blend in so well you’d never know they’re there.

In some cases, all it takes is a few seconds.

Someone walks into a store like any other customer. They wait for a busy moment — maybe the cashier is helping someone else, maybe there’s a line — and they quickly snap a fake card reader over the real one. It takes less time than it does to swipe your card.

Other times, it’s even worse.

Some suspects pose as technicians. They claim they’re there to “service” the machine, and if no one questions it, they get access behind the counter. From there, installing something is easy.

And then there’s the most concerning method — internal skimmers.

These aren’t visible at all. The device is placed inside the machine itself, meaning there’s nothing for customers to see or question. You could use the machine ten times and never know your information was being stolen.

Some of these devices don’t even need to be retrieved. They can transmit data wirelessly, meaning the person responsible could be sitting in a parking lot collecting card information in real time.

That’s why incidents like the one in Gloversville matter.

Because if they’re targeting EBT cards, they’re going after people who rely on that money to feed their families.

And that’s not just theft — that’s targeting the vulnerable.

What You Should Do Right Now

Check your bank and EBT transactions immediately

If anything looks off, report it right away

Use tap-to-pay when possible

Always cover your PIN when entering it

If a card reader looks loose or feels off — don’t use it

The Bottom Line

This isn’t something that only happens in big cities.

It’s here. It’s local. And it can happen anywhere — even places you trust.

Stay alert. Stay aware. And don’t assume it can’t happen to you.