Recently, the incidents of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card fraud have been on the rise, with over 20 elderly people seeking assistance daily, according to Councilwoman Huang Minyi’s office in Flushing. However, the compensation plan for the amounts defrauded under the Federal 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act expired yesterday on December 20. As of the deadline for this article, Congress has not reached an agreement on a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, which means whether fraud incidents after December 20 will be compensated remains uncertain.
Compensation for losses incurred before December 20 is based on the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act. This act provides a two-year benefit compensation for those who had EBT funds stolen on or after October 1, 2022. Huang Minyi stated that if a new round of federal spending bill to avoid a government shutdown is not approved, the plan to provide compensation funds will not be renewed, meaning there will be no compensation for EBT card fraud incidents occurring after December 20. However, if the fraud occurred on December 20 or before, compensation can still be requested after that date.
Congressman Dan Goldman emphasized the need for government to improve EBT by transitioning from the current magnetic stripe cards to more secure chip cards, a feature found in most debit and credit cards.
Kevin Coleman, a spokesperson at Huang Minyi’s office, mentioned in an interview on December 20 that more than 20 individuals seeking help due to EBT card fraud incidents arrive daily. There was even a morning when people lined up before the office opened, with 28 individuals reporting and seeking assistance by 10 a.m. Upon application, a new card can be received in approximately 7 days, with compensation funds typically arriving in around 30 days.
Huang Minyi’s office revealed that according to the statistics from the New York City Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services (HRA/DSS), there have been nearly 2,000 instances of EBT card fraud in Council District 20 from August 1 to December 11 this year. For instance, at the B’nai B’rith Jewish Senior Apartments in Flushing, 24 elderly individuals had their EBT cards stolen, leaving them at risk of going hungry. After seeking help from Huang Minyi’s office, the office connected with the Jewish non-profit organization Met Council. On the morning of the 20th, the organization delivered food to these elderly individuals, ensuring they would not go hungry while waiting for their new cards.
Ms. Xu, an elderly individual who sought assistance from Huang Minyi’s office, shared that her monthly EBT amount is $291, and she recently had over $250 stolen, causing her distress as this was her monthly food budget. After reading about the office’s assistance in the news, she approached Huang Minyi’s office for help and successfully filed for compensation, saving herself a $100 fee she would have had to pay an intermediary, for which she expressed gratitude.
Some supermarkets in Flushing have recently discovered card skimming devices that can steal information and PIN codes from EBT cards. In response, the 109th Precinct Police Station, under the leadership of Captain Kevin Coleman, collaborated with responsible parties from these supermarkets to provide guidance and requested them to enhance security checks. The police also suspect insider involvement in these incidents and remind supermarkets to be vigilant.
To combat the recent incidents of EBT account hacking and the discovery of skimming devices, the 109th Precinct Police Station dispatched crime prevention officers and auxiliary police to supermarkets in Flushing to inspect all card readers and provide training to employees, according to a statement released by the precinct.