JACKSON — A nearly monthlong statewide operation targeting credit card and EBT skimming devices resulted in the recovery of three devices after investigators inspected more than 2,100 point-of-sale terminals at 421 businesses, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced.
Operation Stronghold, conducted from July 31 through Aug. 27, brought together federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and retailers to identify and report skimming devices used to steal personal and financial information.
The three devices recovered during the operation bring the total number of skimmers recovered in Mississippi during 2025 and 2026 to 56, according to the attorney general’s office. Officials estimate each device represents about $1 million in potential fraud losses.
Fitch and U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk announced the conclusion of the operation Wednesday.
“Operation Stronghold is about stopping fraud before it happens,” Fitch said. “It is about bringing together all the parties in partnership — federal, state and local law enforcement and private retailers — to protect taxpayers and beneficiaries of safety net programs, as well as businesses and the customers they serve.”
Investigators with the Attorney General’s Cyber Fraud Task Force trained law enforcement officers, financial institutions and retailers to identify skimming devices, report them and preserve evidence. Law enforcement officers also visited retailers, inspected card terminals and educated employees about identifying and reporting suspicious devices.
Thirty federal, state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the operation, including the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Mississippi Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General and law enforcement agencies across the state.
Walk said skimming fraud can affect families who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits.
“SNAP fraud is a reprehensible crime that squanders the compassion of American taxpayers who fund the program and robs from low-income Americans who qualify for benefits to feed their families,” Walk said.
Officials encouraged consumers to use tap-to-pay or chip-reading terminals instead of swiping their cards when possible. Consumers should also examine card readers for signs that a skimming device may have been placed over the terminal, officials said.
The attorney general’s office said skimming devices can make a card reader appear different or larger than other terminals and may sometimes be removed by lifting at the corners of the device.
