RICHMOND, Va. —As CBS 6 continues to investigate increasing reports of food assistance benefit theft, one Richmond resident is calling on government leaders to step up prevention and enforcement efforts.
Lynette Hicks made her rounds at three different Richmond area food banks on Wednesday, picking up meats, produce, and other necessities for her household.
"I'm grateful for whatever I can get, but it’s not enough to sustain a family," she said.
Hicks said she had no choice but to visit the pantries, after realizing her food assistance money was stolen.
"I went to the store Saturday when my stamps hit, but there was no money," she recalled. “I was embarrassed. I was devastated, because I had a cart full of groceries and no way to pay for them.”
WATCH: Richmond sees 2,000% increase in reports of stolen SNAP benefits: 'Sometimes I go without eating'
The $187 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits she relies on each month to feed her household had been completely wiped out.
She said the theft compounded her financial stress as she scrambled to figure out how to feed the 10-year-old child she has custody of.
"Everything is so expensive now, food in general as it is. The food stamps I do get don’t fully feed my family, but they do help," Hicks added.
According to the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) attribute the surge, benefit theft is usually attributed to skimming, cloning, and phishing of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
Between September and November, the VDSS replaced lost benefits for over 4,300 individuals.
Last month, the City of Richmond reported a staggering 2,000% increase in claims of theft, which has carried over into December as well. Between Dec. 2 and 11, a city spokesperson said the Richmond Department of Social Services has already received 500 claims.
Currently, a federal law gives states the authority to replenish stolen benefits, but the funding for the benefits replacement program is set to expire in just one week unless Congress extends it.
Democratic Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, who represents Richmond and parts of Central and Southside Virginia, recently sent a letter to her colleagues urging them extend funding for the program.
"They need to find some funding to continue to replace stolen stamps, but I also would tell them they need to stop it from happening because replacing the stamps isn't going to fix the problem," Hicks said.
Hicks believes the long-term solutions should include more robust prevention and accountability measures.
Christian Martinez, spokesperson for Governor Glenn Youngkin's Office, told CBS 6 that VDSS is auditing internal controls and referring unusual activity to state and federal authorities. Additionally, Martinez said the department is working to combat robocalls and will eventually allow users to lock and unlock their EBT cards through their phones to prevent fraud. A date for implementation has not been identified.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which manages SNAP at the federal level, has recommended that states adopt chip technology for EBT cards to further safeguard benefits from skimming. At this point, VDSS has not yet taken this action, but is researching potential costs of the change.
"They actually need to upgrade their security on their technology, I would think would be the first step. I think the second step would be maybe doing something like a chip, turning the whole system over, so there aren't any more swiping and entering PIN numbers," Hicks said.
Additionally, Hicks emphasizes the need for holding perpetrators accountable.
"Maybe they need to find out who's doing it, and if they catch them and prosecute them, maybe that will deter people from trying it in the future," she remarked.
CBS 6 has reached out to several agencies regarding accountability but has not been able to confirm whether any suspected thieves have been charged or arrested in connection to these crimes.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said it has not prosecuted anyone recently for this type of crime.
The FBI stated it does investigate this kind of fraud but cannot comment on specific cases.
Virginia State Police said it has no open investigations into these matters.
VDSS has not yet responded to questions CBS 6 sent on Nov. 18 asking what they're doing to catch the perpetrators.
"There should be some accountability, but they don't seem to be too concerned with finding out who's doing it," Hicks said. "This is the most vulnerable population being impacted by this theft. They're not going into rich people's accounts, stealing their bank money. They're stealing food out of our children's mouths."
The FBI is asking any Virginians affected by benefit theft to contact their Richmond field office.
"They can report the fraud to tips.fbi.gov or to the Richmond Field Office at 804-261-1044," FBI spokesperson Leslie McLane said.
Have you been impacted by SNAP benefit fraud? Email your story to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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