Food stamp electronic cards have been increasingly targeted by theft, with residents lining up outside lawmakers’ offices for assistance in recent days. According to the police, skimmers were found on card swipers at some supermarkets in Flushing. The commander of the 109th Precinct in New York City met with supermarket managers to advise them on how to identify if skimmers have been installed and stated that officers will be dispatched to stores to conduct inspections for enhanced security.
Due to the fact that food stamp EBT cards are outdated with only a magnetic strip and no chip, they are vulnerable to information theft; transitioning to chip cards by the government would provide better protection. Additionally, the New York State Temporary and Disability Assistance Office has announced plans to upgrade EBT cards to chip cards.
Many residents in the Flushing Chinese community have recently discovered that food stamps belonging to friends and family have been fraudulently used, with some transactions occurring out-of-state as EBT electronic cards can be used for online shopping. They are puzzled as to how their cards were compromised.
Police revealed that skimming devices were found on card swipers at certain supermarkets in Flushing, which were used to steal account and password information.
According to a statement released on X platform by the 109th Precinct, Commander Kevin Coleman met with managers of several supermarkets in Flushing to discuss the discovery of skimming devices at stores and the hacking of customers’ food stamp EBT card data. Coleman reminded these managers to routinely inspect cash registers and taught them how to spot card skimmers on the devices.
So, how can card skimmers be detected? Police explained that typical skimmers are similar in appearance to regular card swipers, as the skimmer device is simply attached over the card swiper and is not easily noticeable. However, a slight push or shake can dislodge and reveal the skimmer.
Furthermore, the 109th Precinct suspects potential involvement of internal employees as accomplices in the crime and advises supermarkets to be vigilant and alert their staff. Law enforcement is currently placing high importance on these types of crimes and police officers will be sent to inspect cash register card swipers at supermarkets.
According to Councilwoman Huang Minyi’s X platform, supermarket owners have agreed to inspect card swipers and have pledged to inform their employees that involvement in fraudulent activities will lead to termination and potential arrest.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, responsible for the food stamp program, stated that New York State has the most severe cases of food stamp theft in the country. According to information from the New York City Department of Social Services, from August of last year to July of this year, the city has spent $28 million to reimburse stolen food stamp benefits. In 2023 alone, New York City processed over 68,000 claims of food stamp fraud.
After discovering fraudulent activity on an EBT card, cardholders should promptly report it, apply for a new card, and change their PIN. The procedure is as follows: visit https://www.connectebt.com/ or call EBT customer service at 888-328-6399.
For incidents of EBT card fraud occurring before December 20th, victims can submit claims by visiting: nyc.gov/hra. When filing a claim, details such as the date, location, and amount of each fraudulent transaction must be reported. Records of these transactions can be accessed at: ebtedge.com/ (or by downloading the app Ebtedge on your phone), or by calling: 888-328-6399.