How the Government Is Securing SNAP Benefits from Scammers
4 min read
In recent years, there’s been a rapid rise in the theft of government benefits. According to the United States Sentencing Commission, government benefits fraud has increased 182% since fiscal year 2021.1 This includes programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
A federal program managed by states, SNAP is a lifeline for millions of older adults who need extra money buying food on a limited income. But growing incidents of SNAP fraud have prompted federal lawmakers to sound the alarm and take steps to protect vulnerable populations such as older adults. One critical step is updating security features on the electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards SNAP recipients use to pay for groceries. These cards are preloaded with SNAP benefits.
Why is it easier for scammers to steal from EBT cards?
Many people who use credit or debit cards to pay for their food no longer have to swipe their cards—thanks to a special chip on the front that lets them tap a machine at checkout to pay. The chip technology adds an extra layer of security against people who try to hack into their cards.
But EBT cards do not have chips, and card swipes leave older adults vulnerable to skimming. With skimming, a hacker can drain your SNAP benefits by pulling information such as your PIN number or card number from the machine you swiped. Scammers may also pull PIN or card numbers from older adults who click on links in phone text messages that ask for the same information.
In a survey of over 10,000 people using EBT cards for government benefits, over half said they have little to no understanding of skimming or phishing. And 87% said they have tried to protect their cards, according to Propel.2
The lack of knowledge and an inability to protect themselves has left people with EBT cards vulnerable to fraud. A second Propel survey of over 1,700 victims of EBT theft revealed:2
- Half of victims don’t know how or where their benefits were stolen
- 53% became food insecure because of the theft
- 44% had to borrow money or go into debt
Among stolen government benefits, the theft of SNAP benefits accounted for 11% of identity theft cases based on 2023 data from victims who reported to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing identity theft and fraud.3
How is the government addressing SNAP benefits theft?
In 2024, the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act was introduced to strengthen SNAP/EBT card security and help prevent benefit theft from skimming and card cloning. The bill proposed chip-enabled SNAP cards, stronger fraud protections, and faster replacement cards, but it did not become law during the 2024 congressional session.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) joined fellow Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) to reintroduce the bill in March 2026. If passed and signed into law, the act would call for:4
- Updated SNAP card security standards to help prevent card cloning and protect online transactions.
- SNAP card security rules to be updated every five years to keep pace with credit and debit card technology.
- The phasing out of magnetic stripe SNAP cards, replacing them with chip-only cards within five years.
- Grants to help small food retailers and farmers markets upgrade to chip-capable payment systems.
- Free replacements for stolen or hacked cards within three days or less.
- User-friendly websites and smartphone apps to help people manage their EBT accounts.
Some states are already doing their part to beef up EBT card security for older adults, including California and Oklahoma, which began issuing chip-enabled EBT cards to SNAP recipients in 2025 and 2026. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, several other states were in the process of modernizing their SNAP EBT cards as of May 2025.5
While work is still needed to prepare retail stores to accept chip-enabled SNAP cards, adding an extra layer of security is a step in the right direction. The Propel survey of EBT theft victims found that 90% want other security measures in addition to chip-enabled cards, such as the ability to:
- Lock down an EBT card when it’s not in use
- Block out-of-state purchases
- Access EBT balance information through mobile apps
How is the government helping to recover stolen SNAP money?
In December 2022, Congress passed a law allowing stolen SNAP benefits to be replaced when theft occurs through card skimming, cloning, and similar scams. Under that law, people who reported stolen SNAP money to their state SNAP agency could receive either the full amount of money stolen between Oct. 1, 2022, and Dec. 20, 2024, or two months of benefits—whatever was the lesser amount. To date, the federal government has reimbursed victims of fraud nearly $38 million.6 But congressional authority to replace stolen benefits was not extended beyond December 20, 2024.
In May 2025, Sen. Fetterman was one of several lawmakers who reintroduced the Fairness for Victims of SNAP Skimming Act. Although this legislation has since stalled, if enacted, it would allow for the full replacement of a household's stolen SNAP benefits. According to a Propel survey of EBT theft victims, 55% said they either sought but failed to get reimbursed or never filed a claim at all.2
What can older adults do to prevent SNAP identity theft?
The USDA offers older adults a number of tips to keep their SNAP EBT accounts safe when using their EBT cards:7
- Create a hard-to-guess PIN number
- Never share your PIN or card number
- Change your PIN number once a month, especially before your benefits kick in
- Monitor your EBT account for suspicious charges
- Ignore calls or texts asking for your PIN or card numbers
This contributed article was edited by NCOA Staff Jackie Thomas on May 20, 2026.
Sources
1. United States Sentencing Commission. Quick Facts: Government Benefits Fraud. Found on the internet at https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/P144400-OlderAdultsReportDec2025.pdf
2. Propel.app. They're Stealing Food from My Kids': SNAP recipients and the struggle against EBT theft. May 22, 2024. Found on the internet at https://www.joinpropel.com/reports/%27they%27re-stealing-food-from-my-kids%27%3A-snap-recipients-and-the-struggle-against-ebt-theft-
3. Consumer Affairs. Unveiling the threat: Safeguarding your identity from benefit scams. April 10, 2024. Found on the internet at https://www.consumeraffairs.com/finance/safeguarding-your-identity-from-benefit-scams.html
4. Ron Wyden United States Senator for Oregon. Wyden, Fetterman, Cassidy, Bipartisan Members of Congress Introduce Bill to Protect SNAP Benefits Against Theft. March 2, 2026. Found on the internet at https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-fetterman-cassidy-bipartisan-members-of-congress-introduce-bill-to-protect-snap-benefits-against-theft
5. U.S. Government Accountability Office. Nutrition Assistance: USDA Should Comprehensively Assess Benefit Theft Prevention Measures States Are Implementing. September 25, 2025. Found on the internet at https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-25-107964.pdf
6. United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Replacement of Stolen Benefits Dashboard. Found on the internet at https://www.fns.usda.gov/data-research/data-visualization/snap-replacement-stolen-benefits-dashboard
7. United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits. Found on the Internet at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/stolen-benefits
