HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The EBT and food stamp scam theft has left thousands without money to pay for food.
The time to get reimbursed by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has expired in December, but News 19 has been flooded with messages from people who have said they are still being scammed out of funds.
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Destiny Mickens, who lives in Huntsville, says she checked her EBT account on the supplement benefits website before going shopping for food for her 2 children. Mickens receives $330 dollars in food stamp benefits but after she entered her PIN number on her account someone had wiped out her account, leaving her with just pennies to shop for food.
“I was devastated,” said Mickins. “It’s tough enough already because I don’t have income right now. My unemployment just stopped, and I have to buy food.”
According to the ADPH, Mickens is one of 16,500 victims of EBT card and food stamp theft in the state of Alabama. $5 million dollars in total funds has been stolen in that span
The ADPH reports that $6.7 million has been reimbursed since November.
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“This is a real significant problem and I’m very disappointed that the government isn’t taking easy steps to fix it,” cyber security expert Steve Weisman said.
Weisman, whose company Scamicide.com, has investigated snap fraud for years and says it’s time for lawmakers in Alabama to change the benefit card to feature a security chip that’s similar to how banks use for the debit card that will eliminate the use of a card swipe at the supermarket.
“Food stamp theft victims are not protected by law,” Weisman explained. “The Electronic Transfer Act doesn’t protect them and the simple way of doing it is to just put the cards on chips. It’s going to save the government money as well as the people who the people who you’re trying to get the money to. No credit card company today issues a card that uses a magnetic strip.”
Weisman suggests if the system doesn’t change the victim’s list will grow.
“Alabama is not very big, but it is the 10th largest state for EBT fraud so it’s really disturbing,” Weisman said.” This is a real significant problem and I’m very disappointed that the government isn’t taking easy steps to fix it.”
The ADPH recommends that their clients with stolen benefits contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for additional information.
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