EBT skimming scandal: No reimbursement for Ohioans who lose SNAP benefits

Farah Siddiqi

Thousands of Ohioans relying on SNAP benefits to feed their families are finding their accounts drained due to electronic skimming fraud.

Criminals are installing devices at grocery store checkout terminals, stealing people's electronic benefits or EBT card information and wiping out funds.

Audrey Vanzant, director of communications for the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said victims often do not realize it until it is too late.

"They're taking their account information and draining their accounts," Vanzant explained. "When that mother or that grandparent goes to swipe their benefit card, it's coming up that they have a zero dollar balance."

Until recently, federal reimbursements helped people recover stolen benefits but the funding ended in December. Now, Ohioans who fall victim to skimmers have no way to reclaim lost benefits. Vanzant pointed out at least 27,000 Ohio residents have been affected, with fraud costing taxpayers an estimated $14 million.

Ohio officials recently indicted a New York businessman and his company for allegedly defrauding Ohioans of more than $125,000 in stolen SNAP benefits. Investigators found Ohio EBT card details were used every 30 to 45 seconds at a Brooklyn store, with transactions as high as $800.

State officials are also now considering security upgrades, including chip-enabled EBT cards and enhanced fraud monitoring. Vanzant stressed the changes cannot come soon enough.

"Having to cancel your card and all of that is always an inconvenience," Vanzant observed. "But when you're talking about putting food in your mouth, that's beyond inconvenience. We have heard people in Ohio have been on wait times up to 11 hours. Unless you take the precautions, you are potentially at risk to be scammed again."

In the meantime, authorities urge SNAP recipients to regularly check their balances, report suspicious transactions and be cautious when using their EBT cards at unfamiliar locations. Instructions on how to lock and unlock cards for each transaction can be found on the Ohio Job and Family Services website.