Inside Secret Service Hunt for SNAP Skimming Crime Rings
KPRC 2 Click2Houston
[{'start': '0.000', 'end': '4.400', 'text': 'SNAP skimming cases are skyrocketing.'}, {'start': '2.240', 'end': '7.040', 'text': 'KPRC2 broke the national story of'}, {'start': '4.400', 'end': '9.599', 'text': 'rampant SNAP benefits thefts. Today,'}, {'start': '7.040', 'end': '11.519', 'text': 'they are going inside the US Secret'}, {'start': '9.599', 'end': '13.759', 'text': 'Service investigation to catch the'}, {'start': '11.519', 'end': '15.519', 'text': 'criminals behind the operation. SNAP is'}, {'start': '13.759', 'end': '17.359', 'text': 'the largest food assistance program in'}, {'start': '15.519', 'end': '20.880', 'text': 'the nation. Over the last year and a'}, {'start': '17.359', 'end': '23.359', 'text': 'half, more than $380 million in benefits'}, {'start': '20.880', 'end': '25.920', 'text': 'were stolen. The Secret Service is our'}, {'start': '23.359', 'end': '28.720', 'text': "nation's top law enforcement agency"}, {'start': '25.920', 'end': '30.560', 'text': 'tasked with protecting our most valuable'}, {'start': '28.720', 'end': '32.559', 'text': 'uh valuable people and our money as'}, {'start': '30.560', 'end': '34.640', 'text': "well. Tonight, they're speaking only to"}, {'start': '32.559', 'end': '36.880', 'text': "KPRC2's Gage Golding inside their"}, {'start': '34.640', 'end': '40.559', 'text': 'facility to show us how card skimmers'}, {'start': '36.880', 'end': '42.800', 'text': 'work and what you need to look out for.'}, {'start': '40.559', 'end': '44.879', 'text': "One swipe, that's all it takes for your"}, {'start': '42.800', 'end': '47.520', 'text': 'card and your money to be stolen.'}, {'start': '44.879', 'end': '49.280', 'text': 'Skimmers just like this are here in our'}, {'start': '47.520', 'end': '51.440', 'text': 'neighborhoods and could be at the store'}, {'start': '49.280', 'end': '52.960', 'text': "you shop at. Here in Houston, it's as"}, {'start': '51.440', 'end': '54.399', 'text': 'prevalent as it is anywhere else in the'}, {'start': '52.960', 'end': '56.079', 'text': 'nation for a large city. Our'}, {'start': '54.399', 'end': '57.680', 'text': 'investigation into snap skimming,'}, {'start': '56.079', 'end': '60.160', 'text': 'bringing us here to the United States'}, {'start': '57.680', 'end': '62.719', 'text': 'Secret Service. Snap skimming is a crime'}, {'start': '60.160', 'end': '64.799', 'text': 'where crooks steal info from EBT cards'}, {'start': '62.719', 'end': '66.479', 'text': 'where food benefits are loaded. It'}, {'start': '64.799', 'end': '68.799', 'text': "leaves people without money that's meant"}, {'start': '66.479', 'end': '71.600', 'text': 'to fill the fridge. They do it by using'}, {'start': '68.799', 'end': '73.680', 'text': 'these. Each of these is a skimmer. They'}, {'start': '71.600', 'end': '76.080', 'text': "look real. They feel real. But it's on"}, {'start': '73.680', 'end': '78.080', 'text': 'the inside that you can find the little'}, {'start': '76.080', 'end': '80.159', 'text': 'computer chips, the electronics that can'}, {'start': '78.080', 'end': '82.320', 'text': 'steal your credit card, your debit card,'}, {'start': '80.159', 'end': '83.280', 'text': 'and even your Snap Card information.'}, {'start': '82.320', 'end': '84.960', 'text': "This whole thing is what they're"}, {'start': '83.280', 'end': '87.119', 'text': 'installing. It goes over the machine you'}, {'start': '84.960', 'end': '89.040', 'text': 'swipe or put your card into. A spitting'}, {'start': '87.119', 'end': '90.479', 'text': 'image of the real deal. The device you'}, {'start': '89.040', 'end': '91.600', 'text': 'go to at the store would still work and'}, {'start': '90.479', 'end': '94.079', 'text': 'function correctly. However, this'}, {'start': '91.600', 'end': '96.000', 'text': 'machine or device itself is saving your'}, {'start': '94.079', 'end': '98.159', 'text': 'car data. On the back side, you can see'}, {'start': '96.000', 'end': '100.079', 'text': 'the computer chips and readers glued on.'}, {'start': '98.159', 'end': '102.079', 'text': "Without pulling this off, there's no way"}, {'start': '100.079', 'end': '104.400', 'text': "to tell it's even there. How good are"}, {'start': '102.079', 'end': '106.479', 'text': 'these things to spot? They put it on'}, {'start': '104.400', 'end': '108.960', 'text': "there and it's very difficult to spot a"}, {'start': '106.479', 'end': '110.960', 'text': 'overlay device at a store. Skimmers like'}, {'start': '108.960', 'end': '113.600', 'text': 'these last maybe three days, but could'}, {'start': '110.960', 'end': '115.280', 'text': 'steal tens of thousands of dollars each.'}, {'start': '113.600', 'end': '117.600', 'text': 'Snap skimming victims here in Houston'}, {'start': '115.280', 'end': '119.759', 'text': 'have seen charges on their accounts from'}, {'start': '117.600', 'end': '121.600', 'text': 'cities across the country like Chicago'}, {'start': '119.759', 'end': '123.439', 'text': 'and New York. The crooks who install'}, {'start': '121.600', 'end': '125.680', 'text': 'these skimmers come back to the stores'}, {'start': '123.439', 'end': '130.280', 'text': 'to get them and then sometimes sell your'}, {'start': '125.680', 'end': '132.520', 'text': 'information. You are looking at'}, {'start': '130.280', 'end': '135.840', 'text': 'massive'}, {'start': '132.520', 'end': '137.360', 'text': 'transnational organized criminal groups.'}, {'start': '135.840', 'end': '139.040', 'text': "Does that kind of track with what y'all"}, {'start': '137.360', 'end': '140.800', 'text': 'are seeing? A majority of the cases we'}, {'start': '139.040', 'end': '142.400', 'text': 'have observed them being transnational.'}, {'start': '140.800', 'end': '144.319', 'text': 'Okay. But how often are these'}, {'start': '142.400', 'end': '147.040', 'text': 'transnational criminals targeting our'}, {'start': '144.319', 'end': '149.280', 'text': 'stores in Houston? In 2024 into the'}, {'start': '147.040', 'end': '151.599', 'text': 'first quarter of 2025, we have stopped'}, {'start': '149.280', 'end': '153.440', 'text': 'over a 100red um point of sale skimmers'}, {'start': '151.599', 'end': '155.280', 'text': 'from being put into operation to'}, {'start': '153.440', 'end': '157.120', 'text': "victimize people. In our numbers, we're"}, {'start': '155.280', 'end': '159.120', 'text': 'putting about $10 million of prevented'}, {'start': '157.120', 'end': '161.120', 'text': 'loss from happening. Spotting skimmers'}, {'start': '159.120', 'end': '163.120', 'text': 'is nearly impossible, but feeling for'}, {'start': '161.120', 'end': '164.959', 'text': "them, that's the key. Here's what"}, {'start': '163.120', 'end': '166.319', 'text': "special agent Connelly does when he's"}, {'start': '164.959', 'end': '167.760', 'text': "checking out. I wouldn't be embarrassed"}, {'start': '166.319', 'end': '169.440', 'text': 'about it at all if someone walked up and'}, {'start': '167.760', 'end': '171.360', 'text': 'gave a quick tug or a feel around the'}, {'start': '169.440', 'end': '173.760', 'text': 'edges or base of any point of sale'}, {'start': '171.360', 'end': '175.200', 'text': "device to make sure that there's nothing"}, {'start': '173.760', 'end': '177.760', 'text': "sitting over it that's loose. In"}, {'start': '175.200', 'end': '179.599', 'text': 'Houston, Gage Golding, KPRC2 News. Well,'}, {'start': '177.760', 'end': '182.640', 'text': 'Gage was able to uncover this story,'}, {'start': '179.599', 'end': '185.040', 'text': 'which has now made headlines nationwide.'}, {'start': '182.640', 'end': '186.560', 'text': 'It all happened through a viewer tip to'}, {'start': '185.040', 'end': '188.640', 'text': "two helps you. That's how we all got"}, {'start': '186.560', 'end': '190.000', 'text': 'this started. If you have a story idea'}, {'start': '188.640', 'end': '192.519', 'text': 'that you would like for us to cover,'}, {'start': '190.000', 'end': '195.760', 'text': "tell us what's going on at click2"}, {'start': '192.519', 'end': '195.760', 'text': 'houston.com/2 helps'}]