The Alabama Department of Human Resources is taking significant steps to combat fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by introducing new chip-enabled EBT cards. This initiative aims to curb skimming and card cloning, which have cost recipients and taxpayers millions of dollars.
SNAP benefits are a crucial lifeline for 700,000 Alabamians, including seniors, children, and families facing financial hardships. However, these benefits have become a target for organized theft through skimming devices, phishing scams, and card cloning. Kenneth Kuhn, who witnessed an elderly friend lose $300 a month to fraudulent charges, said, “It’s horrible, the losses fraud, hundreds of billions of dollars, it’s insane, absolutely insane.”
Brandon Hardin, SNAP director for Alabama DHR, emphasized the sophistication of the theft groups. “This is a very technical group that’s stealing these benefits,” he said. To counteract this, the department is rolling out chip-enabled cards in 11 counties, including Chilton, Coosa, Autauga, and Shelby, with a full statewide rollout planned for January. “This is a step in the right direction. I call it another tool in our toolbox. It allows us to encrypt the card with another layer of security,” Hardin explained…