Delaware Woman’s EBT Card Emptied by Fraudulent Call, Leaving Her Without Food Assistance
State Department Replaces $619,000 in Stolen SNAP Benefits Amid Rising Fraud Cases
According to CBS NEWS, in Sussex County, Delaware Julie Ebeling experienced a troubling situation when her EBT card was completely emptied leaving her without the food assistance she relies on. Last week, Ebeling found out about the theft while he was trying to buy food. She was tricked into giving out her account information after getting a call that seemed to be from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). The scammers pretending to be official representatives used her details to access and spend her benefits in New York City far from her home. Ebeling told the local social services office about the theft, but she is still waiting for a new card and the benefits she needs.
SNAP benefits that have been stolen are being worked hard to stop by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. So far in 2024, the department has paid out about $619,000 in stolen benefits. Since the replacement process started on December 1, 2023, they have handled about 1,500 reports of stolen benefits and found solutions for about 1,470 of them.
In most cases, replacing stolen benefits takes about 10 business days. However, recent rises in scam cases have caused some delays. The department has made it clear that it will never ask for EBT card numbers or PINs over the phone. They are working on making the process safer and faster.
U.S. Secret Service Investigates Surge in EBT Fraud Linked to Advanced Scams
These crimes are being looked into by the U.S. Secret Service as part of a bigger pattern of organized financial crime. The special agent in charge, Michael Cantrell, said that more complex scams like phishing and card skimming are linked to the rise in EBT theft.
The Secret Service is trying to solve these problems and supports the use of chip cards to make public assistance programs safer. As new types of financial fraud come out, the Secret Service and other groups keep working to keep people safe and make the country safer generally.