When my office opened for business on Monday, Dec. 9, the waiting room was quickly overwhelmed by 28 people crowded into a space meant to seat seven.
The group of largely immigrant seniors were all victims of criminals who heartlessly stole hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of dollars they depend on to feed their families. Unfortunately, this same scene unfolds at the start of every month.
For millions of American families struggling to put food on the table, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards allow them to access their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or Temporary Assistance (TA) cash benefits.
Across the United States, criminals are exploiting the poorest Americans by installing skimming devices on card readers in supermarkets or on ATMs. Between January 2022 and October 2023, there were 80,000 reported thefts of benefits resulting in a loss of $17 million.
In the five ZIP codes that make up my City Council District, between Aug. 1 and Dec. 10, there were 1,990 reported thefts of either SNAP or TA benefits. As of December 11, 2024, the city’s Department of Social Services (DSS) has received 135,300 distinct skimming claims and approved $42.6 million in replacement funds.
These aren’t just statistics; it represents thousands of families left to wonder how they will put food on the table. Replacement funds take roughly a month to post to an account, during which time the impacted recipients must figure out how to feed themselves and their families.
Moreover, the program that provides replacement funds must be reauthorized at the federal level, leaving beneficiaries in a panic every time Congress has a budget fight. In fact, without action from D.C., the current program was set to expire on December 20, leaving victims no recourse to recover stolen benefits.
For years, elected officials and advocates have sounded the alarm on this issue and called for action from those charged with distributing billions of dollars in public benefits nationally.
At least part of the solution here in New York seems simple. New York State must pass S7823A/A4096A requiring EBT cards to use industry-standard technology similar to the chips on credit cards. Unlike the current magnetic stripe cards, chip cards do not transmit the card’s real number during payment, making skimming far more difficult.
The government’s failure to act on this doesn’t just harm the victims, it also hurts taxpayers who bear the cost of replacing the funds being funneled from our neediest neighbors into the pockets of criminals.
Congress must also ensure permanent funding for the reimbursement of stolen benefits. Protecting the most vulnerable among us should not be subject to political brinkmanship.
In the meantime, my office will continue assisting affected constituents, helping them apply for replacement cards and benefits, setting up ebtEdge accounts, and teaching them how to freeze and unfreeze their cards between purchases.
Unfortunately, these security measures can be difficult for seniors, especially those whose first language isn’t English. Despite our best efforts, many find it too challenging and return to my office when their benefits are inevitably stolen again.
This points to a broader issue within government: the systems we create are often too slow to act. When criminals are stealing millions of dollars from tens of thousands of our neediest neighbors, why does it take so long for government to respond?
This failure leads to an erosion of trust that has real consequences, and it is incumbent upon us to restore faith through good governance that doesn’t just announce new initiatives, but ensures that existing ones are properly implemented.
We must act now to ensure that no New Yorker goes hungry because of preventable fraud. By passing legislation to secure EBT, we can stop criminals from preying on the poorest among us while also saving taxpayer money.
Council member Sandra Ung represents the 20th District, which includes the neighborhoods of Flushing, Murray Hill, Queensboro Hill, Mitchell-Linden & Fresh Meadows.
