Feb 5, 2025
The only money 19-year-old Kaiden Bickmeyer has for food comes from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program, formerly known as the food stamp program.
So when his SNAP card was declined at a local Columbus, Ohio grocery store, Bickmeyer was desperate. As he shared with WCMH NBC4 Columbus, he called to check on his SNAP account and learned the sum total — $220.95 — had been drained by someone in Massachusetts.
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“It kind of hurt my feelings badly because that’s all I had for that week,” he said.
Bickmeyer is one of thousands of victims of food stamp fraud across the U.S. The problem disproportionately affects low-income families, leaving many without food. Con artists are illegally siphoning benefits out of federal accounts, impacting taxpayers as well.
The extent of the problem
It’s a significant problem. NBC4 Investigates reports that in 2024, $14 million in SNAP benefits were stolen from 27,000 victims in Ohio alone.
Meanwhile, in California, thieves stole $181 million in SNAP benefits between June 2022 and February 2024.
In 2022, Congress set up a two-year program to reimburse victims, but that program expired, and Congress shuttered it, saying state agencies can choose to replace benefits using their funds.
Unfortunately, only people whose benefits were stolen between Oct. 1, 2022 and Dec. 20, 2024 and who meet approved state plan requirements qualify for state-level reimbursement.
Senator Karl Fetterman and other lawmakers want to restore federal funding to reimburse victims. They sponsored the Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act in 2023, but there is no guarantee that legislation will pass.
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That leaves food stamp fraud victims with little option but to do the best they can to protect their benefits moving forward. That’s not easy.
In 2024, Propel, an organization helping low-income families, surveyed more than 10,000 victims of food stamp fraud across the U.S. Half had no idea how or where their benefits were stolen.
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How food stamp fraud works and how to prevent it
Con artists use two techniques to steal money from victims’ SNAP accounts. One is skimming, which also happens with debit and credit cards. Thieves set up card readers in stores and ATM machines to skim victims’ EBT cards. When victims swipe their cards, their information is stolen.
The other technique is phishing, as thieves pose as someone from a government agency and send victims a text. email or even call the victim directly to acquire their account details.
To prevent scammers from stealing your benefits, there are some proactive steps you can take. These guidelines apply to protect your bank and credit card accounts as well.
- Keep your EBT card locked. Download the ConnectEBT app on Google Play or Apple’s App Store. Once you have the app, you can securely log in and opt to lock and unlock your EBT card on your home screen. Just before making a purchase, unlock your card, and lock it back when not in use.
- Create a hard-to-guess PIN. Don’t use your birthdate or other easily identifiable information. Change your PIN frequently and don’t share it with anyone.
- Check your account regularly. Make sure all the charges on you account are your own. This will help you spot any suspicious activity right away.
- Be wary about of emails, texts or calls about your account. If you receive any communications about your benefits that look suspicious, contact your state agency to confirm the inquiry is legitimate and not from a potential scammer.
Finally, be sure to report fraudulent activity right away. This will not only help agencies protect your own money, but assist in broader investigations to shut down this scam.
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Sarah Li-Cain, AFC is a finance and small business writer with over a decade of experience.
