Grocery Store Gets Anti-Skimming Tech After Theft Scheme Thwarted

Bristol Borough’s only grocery store has received specialized technology after a recent scheme by crooks that targeted shoppers.

On Tuesday, Allied Electronics Inc. donated a SkimBuster detection device to the All Fresh Supermarket on Pond Street. A sign outside will now warn crooks that the store is equipped.

The handheld device, which is manufactured by Micclo, identifies deep-insert shimmer, skimmers, and overlay devices on payment terminals within seconds.

Allied Electronics officials said the SkimBuster tool operates without the need to dismantle the hardware or stop checkout transactions.

The SkimBuster’s use comes after the August discovery of a fraudulent card-reading device attached to a checkout terminal at the family-owned supermarket.

Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan and Bristol Borough Police Chief Joe Moors warned the public last week after discovering illegal device that compromised shoppers using traditional payment cards and families relying on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).

“Card skimming is a predatory crime that directly targets working families who can least afford to lose their hard-earned money or vital public benefits,” Khan said. “Victims of EBT theft don’t have the same protections as traditional credit cardholders.”

Unlike credit cardsholders, EBT benefit recipients don’t have reimbursement options when funds are illegally siphoned.

Moors, a longtime borough law enforcement official, said thefts from EBT cards force victims to wait for their next monthly disbursement to purchase food.

According to data from the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General, card-skimming fraud drained more than $15 million in SNAP benefits statewide in 2024.

EBT cards remain vulnerable due to a lack of security microchips, but Pennsylvania is moving toward chip-enabled EBT cards, and state lawmakers in Harrisburg have introduced legislation over the years to address benefit theft, according to the Pittsburgh Media Partnership Newsroom.

After the August discovery, borough police arrested 38-year-old Ionut Adrian Oprea, of Florida. A second suspect fled on foot.

An investigation remains ongoing as borough police, the district attorney’s office, and the state inspector general’s office seek a second co-conspirator and potentially others tied to the scheme, Moors and Khan said.

Police warned that criminals can purchase devices to steal card information and even make overlay devices at home using 3D printers.

The donated SkimBuster unit gives All Fresh employees the ability to perform rapid point-of-sale sweeps.

“We put it in a regular chip reader,” Steve Gilson, of Allied Electronics, explained as he placed it in a payment terminal. “And then it says if anything is detected.”

If an illegal device is detected, a little red LED light on the SkimBuster will flash on and indicate a problem with the payment terminal, Gilson explained.

Company representatives, law enforcement officials, and the store owners gave reporters a live demonstration of the SkimBuster device across the grocery store’s checkout lanes.

“When this story first broke and we saw Chief of Police Joe Moors and District Attorney Joe Khan, we felt a dire need to help and fight back,” said Allied Electronics CEO Mike Vogt. “We want to do all our part to help bring back consumer confidence.”

Vogt added that Allied Electronics sells the devices to retailers, everyday consumers, gas stations, and law enforcement agencies.

Store management said the illegal scheme hurt sales in recent weeks and left the neighborhood retailer working to restore customer trust.

“We can only hope that we’ll gain their trust again. Hopefully, with the help of everyone here, we can gain their trust back,” said Cristina Torres, of All Fresh Supermarket, adding that the family-owned business was devastated by the victimization of its customers.

Torres thanked law enforcement officials and Allied Electronics.

“We are trying to provide and do the best we can,” Torres said. “To know this has gone so far and so many people have our backs, it really means a lot to us.”

Khan said the fraudsters didn’t just impact the victims who had money taken, but they sent fear through the community and the people who often visit the borough.

“Partnerships like this between local businesses, our police department, and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the community are an important part of keeping Bristol Borough safe,” Moors said.