BOSTON — The agency that distributes SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits is urging its clients to safeguard their EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards, as benefits theft soars in recent weeks through skimming and phishing schemes.
According to Massachusetts Dept. of Transitional Assistance (DTA), in the most frequent scenario, skimming devices installed on point-of-sale card readers steal EBT card numbers and PIN from victims at checkout. EBT cards must be swiped, making them more vulnerable to theft than newer chip-tap technology.
But SNAP clients are also falling for phishing scams by text, in which the message claims the recipient’s EBT card has been deactivated and instructs the person to call a phone number or click on a link that is fraudulent to reactivate it. The victim is then asked for their card number and PIN, which can be used to deplete the victim’s account.
The number of claims for SNAP benefits theft has surged from 2,697 in December to 5,968 in January – a 121-percent increase, according to DTA, the agency that distributes SNAP benefits.
“It’s certainly an outrage,” said DTA Associate Commissioner for Quality Management Birabwa Kajubi. “We’re obviously making a constant effort… to be able to disrupt this level of theft that’s happening to a very vulnerable population and disrupting people and families that are already trying to work toward their own economic mobility.”
Since Dec. 20, 2024, victims of SNAP fraud are no longer being reimbursed, after Congress failed to extend a federal law that replaced stolen benefits.
DTA is urging its clients to make changes to protect their benefits, including utilizing a card-locking feature the agency launched on the DTA Connect platform in November.
“This is our mobile app and our online portal that allows people to lock their card completely, so that it can’t be used for any reason while it’s locked and makes it so they can unlock it when it’s available for their own use,” Kajubi said.
Kajubi also encourages clients to change their PIN frequently.
“In this environment, changing it pretty regularly, especially before benefits are loaded every month, is a good practice,” Kajubi said.
At checkout, card users should inspect their point-of-sale card readers to ensure they have not been tampered with, she said.
“People shouldn’t be shy about saying they don’t want to use their card at a device that seems like it’s been tampered with,” Kajubi said.
Boston 25 News spoke last month to Paige Ward, a single mother of three from Walpole, who reported to police her EBT card had been fraudulently used in a town she had never visited and her $500 SNAP deposit stolen in two quick ATM withdrawals.
Walpole police are investigating the possibility Ward’s card was skimmed at a local store and a clone card used with her stolen information to deplete her account.
“I had my card on me. So, I was like, ‘How does this happen?’” Ward told Boston 25 News in January. “In an instant, everything was taken from us, and I have nothing for my children, no money to pay my bills…I was devastated, because at that moment I lost it all.”
For instructions on how to lock your EBT card as well as other tips to protect your benefits, visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/protect-your-benefits-from-scams
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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