The police say swipers sometimes break the machines to force people to buy rides from them.

The transit agency spent about $26.5 million to repair MetroCard vending machines in 2017, and 47 percent of the machines vandalized were in Manhattan, according to data provided by the M.T.A.

The M.T.A. did not have a current estimate of money lost to fraudulent swipes, but Mr. Walzak said stolen swipes contribute to tens of millions of dollars lost by the M.T.A. to fare-beating crimes.

“This is a sophisticated crime perpetrated by offenders who have professionalized the scam, and know which stations increase their best chances of success,” he said in a statement.

Swipers view their arrests as aggressive enforcement against mostly black and Hispanic men who are offering a discounted rate that the M.T.A. does not, said Patrick Byer, a longtime swiper who said he has “retired” from the practice.

“They shouldn’t charge so much,” he said of the M.T.A., adding that he frequently gave commuters free rides at the end of what he called his “shifts.”

It’s a justification that plays out at the 125th Street station, located in a census tract where Hispanic people make up about 47 percent of the population and black people make up about 31 percent. About 39 percent of residents in the census zone live below the poverty level and 77 percent of residents report using public transportation.

Late last month in the 125th Street station, Faith Blake, 24, handed her $2 to a swiper and headed down the steps to take a train to the Bronx. She did not hesitate or even remove her earphones as she made the exchange for a single-ride card that would have otherwise cost her $3. “I was in a rush. I didn’t feel like standing in line, and I only needed a single ride,” Ms. Blake said.