New York City could soon have its own food benefits detective, with a single job description: track down EBT card skimmers and help SNAP recipients protect what is left in their accounts.
This week, the City Council advanced a plan to create a dedicated SNAP anti-fraud officer inside the Department of Social Services. The position, sponsored by Councilmember Susan Zhuang, would map fraud hot spots, coordinate outreach with neighborhood organizations and publish a yearly breakdown of where theft is happening and how the city is responding. Supporters say the role would finally give New Yorkers one clear point of accountability for a problem that has quietly drained benefits from low-income households across the city.
The measure, filed as T2026-1631, was “pre-considered” by the Council’s Committee on General Welfare last Monday, according to City Council records. As PIX11 reported, the draft legislation calls for the officer to identify high-fraud areas, figure out how to quickly notify SNAP recipients and work directly with community groups.
What the anti-fraud officer would do
Under the proposal, the anti-fraud officer would be responsible for an annual public report that pinpoints where skimming and related fraud are concentrated, details how DSS has responded and recommends best practices for prevention and outreach. The role is meant to close the gaps between city agencies and local organizations so that alerts get to victims faster and outreach can be better aimed, according to Councilmember Susan Zhuang’s office.
How big the problem is
City officials say the scale of the theft is anything but small. The mayor’s office has announced that the city helped nearly 95,000 households recover almost $48 million in stolen SNAP and cash benefits. Separately, the Department of Investigation reported that DSS processed more than 142,000 SNAP reimbursement applications and issued roughly $43.7 million in SNAP reimbursements between August 2023 and March 2025. Together, those figures explain why lawmakers and advocates keep pushing for a mix of enforcement, public education and system upgrades…