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A WOMAN has been stuck without grocery money after hackers drained her SNAP benefits account, leaving her with only $7 for food.
This alarming food stamps fraud scheme is affecting millions of people nationwide, and officials say there’s nothing they can do.
Ciaira Herbert of Chatham, Illinois, discovered the theft when she checked her EBT app before heading to the grocery store.
To her shock, $440 had been stolen from her account in Florida, even though she was in Chicago at the time, reported ABC local affiliate WLS.
Herbert was left with nothing but a meager $7 to feed herself and her son.
“Food prices are higher, eggs cost a lot,” she said.
“It was very difficult last month just to maintain my household.”
The Illinois Department of Human Services previously reimbursed victims of SNAP fraud – but that’s no longer the case.
The state doesn’t replace stolen benefits after the federal program that covered reimbursements expired on December 20, 2024.
Herbert was stunned when IDHS told her their hands were tied.
“They said they weren’t giving anyone any benefits back, and they were just sorry and there was nothing else that they could do” she told WLS.
This theft scheme is part of a growing nationwide issue with SNAP fraud, or EBT fraud, affecting millions of families across the country.
In Illinois alone, two million people rely on food benefits, and many have been left vulnerable.
IDHS says it is working with local and federal law enforcement to combat the fraud, but without federal support, the state cannot replace stolen funds.
Officials said fraud victims can turn to food pantries, soup kitchens, and other local emergency services for assistance across Illinois.
Illinois Congressman Jonathan Jackson has called for Congress and the USDA to restore protections that allow stolen benefits to be replaced.
What are SNAP benefits?
Over 41 million people in America receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits each month.
SNAP provides food benefits to low-income households to help people get groceries.
Recipients get money on a debit card that can be used at grocery stores and farmers markets.
The amount of money distributed depends on several factors including how much money you make, how much money you receive from other benefits, and how many people are in your household.
The electronic benefits can help people buy food including food and vegetables, meat, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, and snacks.
You can’t use SNAP to buy alcohol, cigarettes, hot foods, or cooking utensils.
Source: USDA
“We must do more to ensure no child, senior, or next struggling family goes hungry due to preventable fraud,” Jackson said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the state is advising SNAP recipients to protect their benefits by changing their PIN monthly, freezing their cards between transactions, and turning off the out-of-state feature on the EBT app.
To combat fraud, Illinois is set to participate in the USDA’s Mobile Payment Pilot later this year, offering updated technology to make SNAP purchases via mobile phones, eliminating the risk of skimming linked to physical cards.
Herbert, who relies on SNAP as a temporary support while she works to get back on her feet, now faces an unexpected setback.
She fears this fraud will delay her goal of no longer needing assistance.
“I’m using it productively, so I won’t have to use it in the future,” she said.
“This setback could make it longer to meet the end goal.”
Illinois Department of Human Services didn’t immediately respond to the request for a comment by The U.S. Sun.
