ALABAMA – Theft of any type is devastating to the victim. Still, one type of scam that has been on the rise is especially detrimental to a population of people already struggling to make ends meet. National and state government officials have reported that since this past summer, scammers have been stealing people’s EBT SNAP benefits. The SNAP or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federal government program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low-income persons to help them maintain adequate nutrition and health.
Cindy Long, Administrator of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, stated, “While card skimming and phishing scams can impact anyone who uses a credit, debit or EBT card, they may hit SNAP households—who rely on their monthly benefits to buy food for themselves and their families—the hardest. What these thieves are doing is deplorable, and FNS will not tolerate it in our programs. We are working with our state and federal partners to protect your SNAP benefits.”
USDA recently received several reports of SNAP fraud in which thieves use “card skimming” to steal SNAP benefits. Thieves place a device on a retailer’s card-swiping machine to copy EBT card information. Card skimming can happen to anyone who uses a credit, debit, or EBT card, including SNAP participants.
The Alabama Department of Human Resources said that thousands of people across the state had lost millions of dollars to these schemes.
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USDA encourages SNAP participants to take actions that may help prevent card skimming. For example:
Keep your PIN secret. Do not share your PIN with anyone outside your household. Cover the keypad when you enter your PIN on a machine.
Check your EBT account regularly for unauthorized charges. If you notice any, change your PIN immediately to stop the thief from making any new purchases.
Check card reading machines to make sure nothing suspicious is overlayed or attached to the card swiper or keypad. The overlays can be difficult to detect, but they are often bigger than the original machine and may hide parts of it.
If you believe you are the victim of card skimming and SNAP benefits were stolen from your EBT card, contact your local SNAP office.
Scammers are also using fake calls to steal benefits. The Alabama Department of Human Resources warned that there has been an increase in this particular scam. The scammers, possibly identifying themselves as either working for DHR or EBT Customer Service, are asking for high-value information such as EBT card numbers, PINs, and other personal information to verify the client’s EBT account in order to “unlock the account.” Neither DHR nor EBT Customer Service will ever call or text to solicit EBT cards or personal information for any reason.
“These thieves are attempting to take advantage of those most in need of assistance by any means at their disposal,” Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said. “It is vital for those receiving benefits to protect their personal information. DHR is providing a list of tips which can help keep this vital data out of the hands of these bad actors.”
DHR recommends these tips to protect against the scam:
- Never provide personal information to an unfamiliar person or organization.
- If a phone call seems like a scam, hang up without giving any information.
- Beware that scammers often pressure victims to “act now!”
- If an offer or claim sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Do not trust caller ID. Scammers can use “spoofing” technology to disguise their phone numbers.
- Never give anyone the PIN for your EBT card.
SNAP recipients who are unsure if a request for information is legitimate should contact their local DHR office at a verified phone number. Contact information is available at https://dhr.alabama.gov/county-office-contact/.
The Food Assistance Division of DHR administers the SNAP program in Alabama. More information about the program can be found at https://dhr.alabama.gov/food-assistance/.
