DENVER — It’s a growing problem in Colorado and across the country: thieves, armed with skimming devices and cameras, cloning EBT cards and stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
It is costing victims and taxpayers millions of dollars, a Scripps News investigation found. In response, advocates in Colorado are calling for more legal protections and reimbursement for victims, as well as more secure payment methods.
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In Colorado, 867 cardholders say they have been victimized by this theft so far this year, with a combined reported theft amount of $552,438. Of that, $462,381 has been investigated by the state and reimbursed. However, Karla Maraccini, director of food and energy assistance programs with the Colorado Department of Human Services, said the real amount of stolen funds is likely even higher due to unreported theft.
“I think that unfortunately, the criminal activity around this is not going to slow down,” Maraccini said. “This technology appears to be readily available to people who choose to, you know, take the steps to steal money. So I would really like to see some additional national efforts on how we can protect individuals and their SNAP benefits. It’s the way they feed their families, and we should be supporting them to be able to do that.”
Currently, a federal law passed late last year authorizes states to reimburse victims for their stolen benefits. However, it is set to expire in September 2024, and with this problem of theft not slowing down, advocates are worried about what comes next.
“We really need to find a way of ensuring that those households are protected into the future,” said Carmen Mooradian, policy and advocacy coordinator for Hunger Free Colorado.
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Relief coming for Coloradans with stolen EBT benefits
Hunger Free Colorado has been raising the issue for months, calling on lawmakers to put more permanent protections and reimbursement for victims into next year’s federal Farm Bill. They also want to see more secure ways for SNAP recipients to receive benefits and pay for their groceries.
“Modernize EBT card technology to make it less susceptible to theft and to bring it on par with the level of protections that are enjoyed by private consumers,” Mooradian said. “So, that would include touchless [payment], more chip technology.”
Maraccini said there are conversations ongoing at the state and federal levels about new, chipped EBT cards, but it would be a long and expensive process to replace all current cards for SNAP recipients in Colorado. She said there are also pilot programs in other states testing the use of Apple Pay and Google Wallet for SNAP payments, the results of which Colorado will look to.
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Thieves skimming, cloning Colorado EBT cards to steal funds
In the meantime, Maraccini said there are steps recipients can take to prevent being victimized. It is recommended to not use an easily guessable PIN and to change it often. It’s also recommended to cover your fingers while entering your PIN at checkout to make it more difficult for eyes (and cameras) to capture your PIN. Finally, you can download the ebtEdge app on your phone and freeze your card when it is not in use.