A wave of digital theft is hitting America’s most vulnerable families where it hurts most — the dinner table.
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“I wish this wouldn’t have happened to me,” Yolanda Berryhill, a mother to three and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipient in Harris County, Texas, told FOX 26. “I feel more of a failure as a mother than anything because I can’t really help my kids right now.”
Berryhill has lived with a disability since surviving a 1998 robbery where she was shot four times and suffered three aneurysms. SNAP is her family’s lifeline, but that lifeline was cut without warning earlier this month when she went to buy food.
“The cashier was like, ‘It’s not going through,’” she recalled.
Berryhill reported to the sheriff’s office that $730 vanished from her account within hours of her monthly deposit and was spent at a Walmart in Germantown, Maryland.
Benefits are being stolen from parents ‘trying to feed their kids’
Berryhill’s stolen benefits are part of a bigger problem.
Fraudulent SNAP transactions increased by a shocking 55% between the last quarter of FY2024 and the first quarter of FY2025, according to the USDA. The number of households impacted in FY2025 Q1 was 221,191, up from 143,903 in FY2024 Q4.
Even worse is that victims are no longer guaranteed help. Congress let the program to replace benefits with federal funds expire in December 2024, leaving millions without a safety net.
The USDA website says it replaced $322.5 million in stolen benefits from FY2023 Q2 to FY2025 Q1.
“Theft of funds on SNAP EBT cards has dramatically increased in recent years,” said the USDA in May. “In such cases, criminals steal funds loaded onto EBT cards that SNAP recipients rely on to buy food by surreptitiously installing card skimmers, and cloning point of sale terminals enabling them to steal publicly funded benefits. Recent investigations show that international criminal organizations are heavily involved and benefiting from SNAP fraud.”
“Our estimate is that something above $400 million is stolen every year from the pockets of low-income households — moms and dads trying to feed their kids,” said Justin King, the policy director at Propel, to FOX 26. Propel is a free app that helps SNAP users track their balances and detect fraud. “We see really negative outcomes when people are victimized in this way. People go deeper into debt, they fall behind on other bills.”
President Trump’s “big beautiful” bill has also made big changes to the SNAP program that the Urban Institute says will “widen the persistent gap between benefits and food costs.”
“Prices are just rising, but the SNAP benefits are going down,” Berryhill adds. She’s left to figure out how to feed her family for the rest of the month.
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How to protect your SNAP benefits:
As fraudulent SNAP transactions skyrocket, digital thieves are cashing in while families go hungry. So, how can you protect your benefits in a system not built for the modern fraud game?
Start here:
Secure your PIN Use a strong, complex PIN that doesn’t relate to your birthday, address, or any repeating numbers. Update it every month, ideally right before your benefits are loaded.
Monitor, freeze, repeat Your EBT card isn’t just plastic, it’s your paycheck. Lock your card when you’re not using it. For example, Texas allows you to freeze your EBT card via the Texas Benefits app.
Check your balance frequently. The Propel app sends you alerts for suspicious activity.
Watch for card skimmers Fraudsters are planting skimming devices, tiny readers that steal your card data, on self-checkout machines and store card readers.
Be vigilant at checkout and avoid suspicious card readers. Learn how to spot card skimmers by looking at the card reader for signs (bulky, off-center, loose parts) and checking the security seal.
Block out-of-state use Several states now let you block SNAP card use in other states, which prevents scammers from draining your funds 1,000 miles away. The Propel app also lets you do this.
If you believe your card has been compromised or benefits have been stolen, contact your state office to cancel the card and report it to the authorities.
As SNAP fraud hits crisis levels, one thing is clear: your EBT card isn’t just a benefit, it’s a target for thieves. For families like Berryhill’s, the damage is already done.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
