Maryland and Vermont became the first states approved by the USDA to replace recipients’ SNAP benefits stolen by card skimming, card cloning and similar crimes, said Agriculture deputy undersecretary Stacy Dean on Tuesday. Benefit replacement is available for two years ending on Sept. 30, 2024, under a provision of the government funding bill passed last December.
In a statement, Dean said the USDA was working with state officials “so that those who fall victim to a criminal’s selfish and illegal actions can still afford food for their families. We are pleased that all states submitted a plan outlining how they will process claims of stolen funds and reimburse SNAP customers. This puts us one step closer to helping people who have been victimized, while we continue to work on ways to combat fraud.”
Replacement of stolen benefits will begin this month in Vermont and Maryland, said the USDA.
Published reports say millions of dollars in benefits have been stolen by criminals using fake EBT cards. The USDA says it has no estimate of the scope of the problem. In card skimming, criminals install devices on ATMs or point-of-sale terminals to record EBT card data, which can be used to create fake EBT cards known as clones. Data can also be acquired through fraudulent phone calls or text messages.
The USDA said SNAP households would be limited to two benefit replacements in a fiscal year and it restricted the amount that could be replaced.
For additional information about replacement of stolen benefits, click here.