The Alabama Department of Resources reports over 15,000 cases of fraud with EBT cards, between October 1 and December 20, 2024, held by SNAP (Food Stamp) recipients across the state. Hackers are using cloning, skimming and phishing to illegally get the card numbers and pins of low-income recipients.

More than 25 cases of this fraud have been reported to Greene County law enforcement officials. One SNAP recipient told the Democrat that she had $300 placed on her card by DHR, earlier this month, but when she went to the grocery store, scammers had taken all but $3 of her needed food stamp benefits.

In its official statement, Alabama DHR says the fraud “is non-client fraud, unless the client is sharing their card or pin number with anyone. We continue to accept and process households’ replacement requests through each county office and can reimburse funds stolen through December 20, 2024.” DHR does not give any timeframe that the funds will be reimbursed, which leaves many families without resources for food at this holiday time.

DHR also recommends that recipients who feel their EBT card has been compromised or notice unexplained use of benefits, should immediately:

Change your EBT card PIN number immediately to prevent further theft.

Call or visit your local county DHR office to report your benefits stolen.

Complete and submit a Reimbursement Request Affidavit and supporting documentation.

Among the documents required is a police report where the card
holder reports the theft to local law enforcement. The recipient must also supply their card and pin number, as well as a form of identification like a driver’s license.

The Democrat will continue to follow this story in future newspapers. We welcome statements from recipients involved in this situation.