Maryland will transition to “tap and go” Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards by summer 2026 in an effort to curb benefits theft, which has cost state taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in recent years.
Current EBT cards, which the state uses to transfer benefits to eligible Marylanders for things like disability (TDAP) and food assistance (SNAP), use magnetic strips and have become highly susceptible to skimming and cloning fraud tactics.
Wednesday, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a state contract to switch to chipped cards, which Maryland Human Services Secretary Rafael López explains are the same as modern bank cards…