EBT Scams: How They Work and How to Protect Yourself

EBT scams are schemes that steal the data off your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program card so a thief can drain your benefits, usually by copying your card number and PIN at a tampered checkout terminal or through a fake text message. The stakes are higher now than they were a year ago: the federal program that reimbursed households for benefits stolen through skimming and cloning expired on December 20, 2024, and benefits stolen after that date are not eligible for federal replacement.¹ Some states use their own funds to replace stolen benefits, but coverage is uneven, which makes prevention the part of this problem you actually control.

How Thieves Steal EBT Benefits

Almost every EBT theft starts the same way: someone captures your card data and your PIN, then uses them to buy groceries or withdraw cash on your balance. Three techniques account for most cases.

Skimming is the most common. A thief attaches a thin overlay to a card reader at a grocery checkout or ATM. The overlay reads the magnetic stripe when you swipe, while a hidden camera or a fake keypad captures your PIN. The whole rig installs and comes off in seconds.

Shimming targets chip cards. A paper-thin device slid inside the chip slot intercepts the data passing between your card’s chip and the terminal. Because the device sits inside the reader instead of on top of it, shimming is harder to spot than skimming.

Phishing skips the hardware. You get a text or email that looks like it came from your state benefits office, warning that your account is locked or your benefits are expiring, with a link to a page that asks for your card number and PIN. No legitimate agency asks for your PIN by text, email, or phone. Any message that does is fraud.²

Once the data is copied, criminals often wait. They sit on the information until your next monthly deposit hits, then drain the account within minutes. That timing is what makes EBT theft so damaging: a household can lose a full month of food money before anyone notices.

Checking a Card Reader Before You Swipe

A quick physical check catches most skimmers. Grab the card slot and wiggle it. A real reader is solidly mounted; an overlay will feel loose or shift when you tug. Compare the reader to others in the same store. Skimmers often stick out farther than the original slot, and the plastic can be a slightly different color or texture.

Do the same with the keypad. If it feels spongy or sits higher than the surrounding surface, a fake pad may be layered over the real one. Look for tiny holes above or beside the screen that could hide a pinhole camera aimed at the keys.

If anything looks or feels wrong, use a different terminal or pay at the register. The few seconds this takes can save you a month of groceries.

Lock Down Your Account

The stronger protection is inside your EBT account itself. Most state systems now let you shut a thief down even if they already have a perfect copy of your card.³

Freeze your card between shopping trips. A frozen or “locked” card refuses every transaction until you unlock it through your state’s EBT app or cardholder website. Since scammers commonly wait weeks before using stolen data, a freeze blocks them at the register.
Block out-of-state and online transactions. Most cloned-card purchases happen in a different state from the victim’s, so switching this off eliminates the most common attack. Turn it back on temporarily if you travel.
Change your PIN often, ideally right before each monthly deposit. That makes any previously stolen PIN useless. Do it through your state’s customer service line or cardholder portal, not at a store terminal.
Turn on transaction alerts. Text or email notifications for every purchase and every PIN change let you catch unauthorized activity within minutes instead of days.

USDA is also rolling out EBT cards with EMV chips, the same technology used on regular bank cards.⁴ Chip transactions generate a unique code each time, which makes cloning much harder. The rollout is state-by-state and not yet universal, and even chip cards carry a magnetic stripe for stores that haven’t upgraded, so skimming remains possible. The account controls above still matter after your chip card arrives.

If Your Benefits Are Already Gone

Speed is everything. The moment you see a transaction you didn’t make, or a balance that doesn’t match what you expected:

Call your state’s EBT customer service. Report the card stolen, request a new one, and change your PIN on the same call. This freezes the compromised card immediately.⁵
Write down every unauthorized transaction: date, dollar amount, and retailer. Your cardholder website or app shows recent history. This list is the heart of any replacement claim.
Contact your local SNAP office and ask specifically about filing a stolen-benefits replacement claim. Requirements vary by state, but expect to sign a statement describing the theft, when you discovered it, and which transactions were fraudulent.²

Reporting windows are tight. The expired federal program required claims within 30 days of discovering the theft, and state-run programs tend to use similar or shorter deadlines. Waiting a few weeks can cost you any chance of recovery.

Will Stolen Benefits Be Replaced

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 created the first federal program specifically authorizing replacement of SNAP benefits stolen through skimming, cloning, and similar fraud.⁶ That program covered thefts occurring between October 1, 2022, and December 20, 2024, and Congress did not extend it in later spending legislation. Benefits stolen on or after December 21, 2024, are not eligible for federal replacement.¹

Some states have committed their own funds to replace stolen benefits, but this is not universal and can change with state budgets. Before you assume anything about recovery, call your local SNAP office and ask what your state currently offers.

Criminal Penalties Exist, but They Won’t Refill Your Card

Federal law treats EBT cards as “access devices.” Using or trafficking in stolen card data can bring up to 10 or 15 years in prison for a first offense, depending on the conduct, and up to 20 years for a repeat offender.⁷⁸⁹ Prosecutors tend to focus on the rings running these operations rather than on recovering money for individual victims. Enforcement matters over time, but it won’t put food on your table next week. The card controls and fast reporting above are what actually protect your household.

1
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Replacement of Stolen Benefits Dashboard
2
Food and Nutrition Service. Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits
3
Administration for Children and Families. SNAP and TANF Electronic Benefit Transfer Card Skimming Prevention
4
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP EBT Chip Card Technical Resources
5
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Should I Do If My EBT Card or PIN Is Lost or Stolen, or I See Unauthorized Charges
6
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC Chapter 51 – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1029 – Fraud and Related Activity in Connection With Access Devices
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1343 – Fraud by Wire, Radio, or Television
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3571 – Sentence of Fine