The Brief
- USDA reports SNAP benefit theft up 55% this year and says it will crack down on the crime.
- Investigators say crime rings use skimmers on store card readers to gather SNAP account information.
- Cards are often drained the day funds are deposited onto SNAP cards.
HOUSTON – More people who rely on food assistance are discovering their SNAP benefits have been stolen, often leaving them without a way to buy food for their family for a month.
The USDA reports that fraudulent SNAP transactions have shot up 55% just this year. And now theft victims are no longer able to get replacement benefits after Congress stopped providing funding for it in December.
Houston mother has SNAP benefits stolen
What we know:
“Prices are rising, and SNAP benefits are going down. I wish I could help out more. I wish this wouldn’t have happened to me. And I feel more of a failure as a mother than anything because I can’t really help my kids right now,” said mother of three Yolanda Berryhill, breaking down in tears.…