Secret Service cracking down on credit card skimmers at gas pumps across the country

WASHINGTON - This holiday weekend, the Secret Service is warning drivers to beware of credit card skimming devices at gas pumps.

Here's why: an estimated 54 million Americans will hit the roads for the holiday, and in doing so, many people will need to stop for gas. According to the Secret Service, the annual increase in drivers means bigger paydays for card-skimming criminals who target victims at the gas pump.

As a result, agents have launched "Operation Deep Impact," issuing a nationwide alert detailing technical information about what law enforcement agencies should be on the lookout for, how to handle skimmers if located, proper collection protocols and overall best practices for these types of investigations.

More than 400 gas stations in 16 states have already been searched and nearly 200 skimmers have been recovered, according to a Secret Service press release.

This isn't the first skimmer crackdown for the agency. They also launched similar initiatives on other holidays this year, including Independence Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day.