Pennsylvania Inspector General Michelle Henry explains new protections for SNAP recipients
New protections are offered to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in Pennsylvania amid an increase in food stamp thefts.
Nearly 2 million people in Pennsylvania rely on these food benefits, and criminals know that. Pennsylvania Inspector General Michelle Henry explains the new safeguards and how officials hold the thieves accountable.
Stolen SNAP benefits in Pennsylvania
Jesse Richardson got the bad news inside a 7-Eleven store in Downtown Pittsburgh.
"I was waiting for my benefits to come in, and I went to the store to buy a beverage, and when I swiped it, it kept saying declined," the man from Carnegie said.
Another month, another hacker who zeroed his benefits card.
"It was $500, and when I seen it, I was I was floored," Richardson said. "I got to feed me and my son."
Richardson's money is now part of the more than $15 million stolen from Pennsylvanians last year at the hands of these criminals.
"This is food for families," Henry said. "Can you imagine if you're going to the grocery store and you've waited to make that purchase to get the vital food and nutrition that your family needs and you simply find out by no fault of your own that you have zero money in your wallet? And even though you're a victim, nobody is reimbursing you."
Henry said that's where her office steps in, trying to track down these thieves and hit them with felony charges.
"Our agents have been throughout Pennsylvania going into stores looking for skimming devices, recovering them, seizing them, putting them into evidence, doing the analysis with the Pennsylvania State Police in an effort to catch these individuals," Henry said.
Right now, no state offers a benefits card with chip technology. Henry said Pennsylvania is considering adding that feature so consumers can tap and avoid skimming devices.
But until then, there is a new app that offers the ability to lock the card.
"The number one thing I would say is to utilize the lock feature, which just came to Pennsylvania a couple months ago. And it's an app that you can download on your phone very easily, Connect EBT," Henry said.
Users can set it to lock automatically every 30, 60 or 90 minutes.
"If you lock your benefits, nobody can use them online or in stores, and they're protected that way," Henry said. "So, we strongly encourage recipients to make sure they download that app and lock their benefits."
It even offers a feature that does not allow anyone to use the benefits outside of Pennsylvania.
Henry also suggests not using a basic number combination, taking a look at the card reader machine to try to detect a skimmer and changing the PIN frequently. Also, report a skimmer if one is found.
