On December 9th, elderly residents in several communities in New York City found their food stamp accounts had been fraudulently tapped, prompting them to seek help from local elected officials. Councilwoman Zhuang Wenyi’s office received over 20 victims by 1 p.m., while State Assembly members Coton and Benson of the Jewish Community Center, the Italian American Organization Federation, and other organizations also received numerous similar complaints. Victims reported that funds deposited into their accounts at midnight were swiftly drained, with losses ranging from hundreds of dollars per person.
Victims’ funds were transferred to other states or spent at local businesses within hours of being deposited into their accounts at midnight. Some cases showed multiple transactions happening simultaneously, bypassing online transaction restrictions even if victims had set limits on their EBT cards for in-store purchases.
Mrs. Situ, one of the victims, displayed evidence to reporters at Councilwoman Zhuang Wenyi’s office. She revealed that despite making purchases using her food stamps on December 3rd, she discovered her balance was empty when she tried to make a purchase on December 7th.
Situ provided a statement showing that $292 was deposited into her EBT card at midnight on December 6th, but by 9:49 a.m. on the same day, two transactions had wiped out her funds: $268.05 was spent at a deli grocery store in Brooklyn, and $167.05 at a candy store in Manhattan. These transactions occurred simultaneously, depleting her balance and the newly deposited funds, leading to her being declined when attempting a $2.69 purchase on December 7th.
Situ disclosed that this was her first experience with theft. On September 30th, she had personally visited Councilwoman Zhuang Wenyi’s office to request disabling online and out-of-state transactions on her EBT card. However, thieves still managed to spend her money at local stores, prompting her to seek help on December 9th when the office reopened.
Councilwoman Zhuang Wenyi stated that this was not an isolated incident but a systemic issue, suggesting that fraudsters may be using automated systems for card skimming. She has written to the Human Resources Administration (HRA) to conduct an internal investigation and address the system vulnerabilities promptly, but has not yet received a response.
Zhuang Wenyi mentioned a recent meeting with the HRA where it was recommended that individuals unlock their EBT cards only when needed and lock them immediately after use. However, she acknowledged that this process may be challenging for many elderly residents.
Previously, Michael Rockman, Director of Social Services at the Jewish Community Center, shared how some children would lock their parents’ cards at night, only unlocking them during the day for shopping. Despite these precautions, cases showed that within an hour and a half from shopping to returning home, card details were exploited due to being unlocked, with the thefts almost instantaneous.
Zhuang Wenyi urged residents to report to her office before the governmental compensation application deadline on December 20th to protect their rights.
Food stamp thefts have been a recurring issue since the summer, drawing widespread attention. In response to the problem affecting local residents, State Assembly member Coton and Councilwoman Zhuang Wenyi held a joint press conference in October, calling for action. Coton later mentioned that the Governor’s office had reached out to offer assistance.
Subsequently, on November 5th, Coton and Zhuang Wenyi, together with various state agency representatives, held a lengthy meeting to brainstorm and devise specific plans to address the fraud issues in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“There is a united effort to create a solution for this very serious issue,” said Coton. “Various agencies are working to ensure EBT cardholders can easily use their cards while safeguarding their accounts. The Governor’s office has listened to our suggestions and mobilized state officials, including those from the State Food and Nutrition Office and the Department of Governmental Affairs, who are capable of genuinely solving the problem. We look forward to a satisfactory resolution.”
According to Coton, one potential solution under consideration is establishing a system where users can lock or unlock their EBT cards by dialing a specific phone number. This aims to make it easier for users to secure or access their EBT cards without facing increased risks due to high technological barriers. He highlighted that the current system requires users to operate via smartphones or computers, posing a significant obstacle for those not adept at using such technologies.