Dale Piar of Nashville, Tennessee, was taken aback when his EBT card was repeatedly declined while shopping at Kroger for last-minute Thanksgiving. He discovers that he only has $.88 left in his account. Piar is one of the country’s few victims of EBT card fraud.
Less Than a Dollar Left
Piar had the turkey and all the trimmings when he tried to pay at the cashier, but he was left empty-handed because he only had a dollar in his account.
He stated that after the funds were transferred to his EBT card this month, he and his son went to various grocery stores. He is supposed to have $242.86 in his account, but to his surprise, it is nearly empty, a source posted, a source posted.
Piar is not the only victim of the EBT card scam in the country; many people in various areas have also reported stolen funds from their accounts. Thousands of EBT cardholders in New York had their money stolen through ATM and credit card skimming fraud. They want state officials to recoup people’s stolen money and upgrade to better-protected cards.
Government Officials Warn About Scams
As EBT card scams become more common, government officials warn citizens to be cautious. After receiving reports of several possible SNAP fraud attempts, the US Department of Agriculture issued a warning to the people.
Brandon Lipps, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the USDA, reminds SNAPS participants to be wary of any unidentified individual or organization requesting their private information.
Confidential information includes a user’s social security number, bank information, and SNAP EBT card or PIN number. If SNAP recipients are unsure whether a request for information is legitimate, the USDA recommends contacting their local SNAP office.
