RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — After a rise in Supplementary Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits scams, Virginians can now apply to receive replacement benefits.
Jennifer Cooper, Associate Director of Benefits Programs with the Virginia Department of Social Services says that, last fall, the department saw a spike in scammers taking advantage of the 461,688 households enrolled in the program.
A scammer would do this by sending a text message to people telling them that their EBT card has been locked, using skimming devices at check out or by calling a local store pretending to be an EBT vendor or Food Stamp official.
“As soon as we started hearing about it, we took some action,” said Cooper.
Unlike a credit or debit card, where people can call their bank to resolve the issue, there weren’t many options for SNAP recipients until recently, when Virginia received federal funding to replace lost or stolen benefits for recipients who notice the issue from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2024.
“Those that have already previously reported their benefits stolen, that match that criteria, may need to contact their local department of Social Services and complete an attestation, which is a form that basically tells the circumstances of the loss,” said Cooper.
If this has happened to you, you are encouraged to contact your local department of social services to apply within 30 days of noticing the crime. Then, replacement funds will be issued within 10 days of the reported loss. According to the Virginia Department of Social Services, households are limited to two replacement issuances for stolen benefits in the federal fiscal year.
“The benefits are not necessarily going to be 100% replaced. There is a calculation that is involved,” said Cooper. She continued to say, “It’s a calculation based on the amount that was issued to the card in the month prior to the to the fraudulent activity.”
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To prevent this from happening, the Virginia Department of Social Services recommends looking for skimming devices when you are at checkout and changing your pin number often.
“What we strongly encourage people to do is to really take a look at these devices, because many times if you if you handle the top of the device, you can actually feel the skimming device,” said Cooper.
