Relief is now available for Colorado victims, but work remains to address card security and skimming.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants receive their benefits each month on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which looks and functions like a debit card. EBT cards, like traditional debit cards, can be vulnerable to certain forms of electronic theft.
Skimming Theft
Skimming is a type of electronic theft that occurs when a criminal places a device on a point-of-sale terminal (where shoppers scan their card to make a purchase), and the device allows the criminal to capture the card’s data and PIN information. The criminal then uses that information to clone the card and access the benefits in the card holder’s account. Unfortunately, card skimming is a form of crime that has impacted EBT card holders in Colorado and throughout the US in recent years.
Short-term Relief for Victims of Electronic Theft
Skimming and other forms of electronic theft have existed for decades, but SNAP participants have been especially harmed by an increase in skimming affecting EBT card holders in recent years. This is the case for a few reasons. First, EBT cards do not have the most up to date technology (like chips or touchless technology) and are easier to skim than private bank cards. Second, while private bank cards are protected through standard consumer protections, EBT cards are not. Until recently, it was not possible for SNAP participants whose benefits were stolen to have those benefits replaced.
With a rise in skimming theft affecting SNAP participants, Hunger Free Colorado and advocates across the country urged Congress to develop protections for SNAP participants, as we believe SNAP households should be able to use their EBT cards without having to worry about their benefits getting stolen. Thanks to statewide and national advocacy, Congress included a temporary measure to address this problem in the 2022 year-end omnibus spending bill. The change allows for the replacement of up to two month’s worth of benefits stolen through different types of electronic theft, dating back to October 1,2022 and until September 30, 2024.
If you believe you have been a victim of benefits theft, click here to learn more.
We Need a Long-Term Solution to Electronic Theft
While we are grateful for the temporary relief to SNAP households who are victims of electronic theft, we still have work to do! The current protections expire in September 30, 2024, at which point stolen benefits will no longer be eligible for replacement. We need to make sure that SNAP households whose benefits are stolen through no fault of their own do not have to endure the destabilizing effect of losing months of their grocery budget.
At Hunger Free Colorado, we are urging our legislators to include protections for EBT card holders in the upcoming Farm Bill, which authorizes and funds SNAP. We need to ensure that SNAP participants who are victims of this type of theft can have their benefits replaced into the future. We also need to improve EBT card technology with input from SNAP participants, to make it harder for criminals to steal from low-income households.
We will have opportunities for you to take action soon, so check back regularly. If you’d like to learn more about our Farm Bill advocacy, click here.