Across New York City, thousands of recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have reported that their benefits were stolen, often leaving them without funds for groceries, sometimes for up to two months.
Many Brooklyn residents who spoke to BK Reader about their experience suspect that their SNAP information may have been zapped at local grocery stores and delis. The theft occurs when a customer swipes their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card through a payment device that is bugged with a card skimmer, sometimes stealing all or most of the card’s balance.
Since August of 2023, the city received about 110,000 theft claims, according to a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Social Services.
Crown Heights resident Mark Addison said when he tried using his card one day in August, the transaction was denied as there were no funds remaining. That’s when he caught wind of two unknown transactions for $62.54 and $25.87, with the location of the transaction listed as a grocery store in Palatine, Ill. Addison suspects his card was skimmed at a local neighborhood deli, as that was the last place he used the card before the money went missing.
“I filled out the affidavit for everything and still haven’t seen anything yet,” said Addison, 52, about his attempt to be reimbursed.
He said he’s aware the process to get his money back may take a while, as this is the second time his funds were stolen. Going to get the card replaced at the New York City Department of Social Services in Downtown Brooklyn is quite gruelling, Addison said.
“When you get there you could be 20 people deep standing in line and you have to go from window to window, very much so like the DMV,” said Addison, referring to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Addison is not alone. In February, two men who worked at the Throop Farm Market in Bedford-Stuyvesant were charged for stealing about $20 million from SNAP benefits.
And in Gravesend and Bensonhurst, some residents who were recently scammed went straight to the office of Assemblyman William Colton for assistance.
The office is staffed with translators that can assist residents with their case claims, as many of Colton’s constituents only speak Mandarin or Cantonese. Su J. Zhu, a 76 year-old victim, reported her case to the assemblyman’s office after a friend informed her about the services provided there.
“I don’t want to go to the SNAP Benefits Center because I can’t speak English,” said Zhu, through a Cantonese translator at the assemblyman’s office. “Here, Asian people can speak their language and get help to translate or use the computer to translate.”
Once the office reports the claim, the recipient’s card is canceled and a new card is issued by mail to their home address. After they receive the new card, the recipient can take it down to the assemblyman’s office to activate it and set protections on the card, such as blocking online and out-of-state purchases that can be made by scammers.
“Before coming to the office, I was worried that my benefits would just be stolen again, but now I feel more comfortable using it,” said Zhu, after enabling the protections on the new card.
Ye Qing Li, 72, also relies on SNAP benefits for her grocery shopping and sought assistance from the office almost immediately on Sept. 3, after realizing $224.81 were stolen from her card, leaving nothing but 50 cents.
“That morning I swiped it [my card] and saw the funds went to different locations, like Chicago and Pennsylvania,” said Li, who then had to rely on her son to buy groceries for her, since she uses the card about three times a week.
“Because these are people that are very low income, it’s a very frightening experience for someone who is depending upon the money on this EBT card, then suddenly finds the money is no longer there,” said Assemblyman Colton.
The assemblyman’s office has been able to assist over 60 district constituents since the summer, when initial theft cases were reported in the area.
Meanwhile, state Senator Roxanne Persaud, who represents neighborhoods in eastern Brooklyn, is pushing to change the card technology from using a magnetic strip to a chip, she told CBS New York in June.
Addison, who said the government should use more secure technology, admits some kind of risk will still exist.
“As technology advances and as AI advances, it’s only going to be a week after that until they [scammers] can figure out what you've done security-wise,” said Addison, saying the convenience of card tap technology can also be problematic.
Seniors are especially vulnerable to online scams and may not have the ability to quickly fix any issues online, said City Council Member Susan Zhuang. The Human Resources Administration needs to implement measures that automatically lock SNAP spending for out-of-state and online transactions, she added.
"Such a safeguard would significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized use and help prevent further financial hardship for those reliant on these essential benefits,” she said.
City residents who suspect SNAP fraud can make a claim online here; call (718) 557-1399 between 7:00am and 5:00pm Monday - Friday; or mail in their complaint to BFI Complaint Unit, 375 Pearl Street, 23rd Floor, New York, N.Y. 10038.
