RICHMOND, Va. — It's been the "worst New Years" for one Richmond mother, who said she started off 2025 finding out at the grocery store that her food assistance money had been unexpectedly depleted from her account.
She said $350 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that she relies on to feed her two children completely vanished due to multiple out-of-state fraudulent transactions.
“We've got to put food in our stomachs. We're not going to be able to survive like this. This is ridiculous," said the mother, who did not want to be identified.
She doesn't know how her account was compromised, but she said she only frequents a few store locations and has not inserted her EBT card information online or given it to a third-party.
If her story sounds familiar, that's because it is.
In November and December, CBS 6 shared the voices of several people, mostly single mothers, who were victimized by EBT card skimming, phishing, and other forms of theft and scams.
Local social services departments across Central Virginia reported a significant uptick in these cases, and Richmond City specifically experienced a 2,000% increase in reports of theft.
Here are some of the concerns that impacted families expressed to CBS 6:
- “This is not caring about the kids when they have to wake up and wonder what they’re going to eat." -Musheerah Townes
- “It’s highly inconvenient whatsoever. I feel like this is pain and suffering.” -Teaisha Smith
- “We were suffering, because we were getting weak from not having food.” -Mekel Johnson
- “I was embarrassed. I was devastated, because I had a cart full of groceries and no way to pay for them” -Lynette Hicks
But the difference now is that those mothers interviewed in November and December were able to get their benefits replaced under a program funded by the federal government that allowed states to issue replacements.
Democratic Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, who represents Richmond, was vocal in recent weeks supporting the extension of the program, citing CBS 6's reporting in her requests.
However, the replacement program ended in late December, after Congress declined to allocate money to extend it in its latest republican-led funding bill which was ultimately signed by President Joe Biden.
This mom found out the hard way, when she went up to Richmond Social Services on Thursday looking for help and was handed a sheet of paper saying the agency can no longer replenish stolen assistance.
“I was very disappointed. I was very sad. I don't know how we are going to make it," she said.
WATCH: Her SNAP benefits were stolen. She wants to know what's being done to catch the thieves and prevent fraud.
While she's taking steps to get a new EBT card and PIN, she feels lawmakers failed her.
“Shame on you. Shame on you, because it really hurts me so much," she said. "You ain't doing no better for us or for our kids, for this community."
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture which manages SNAP, it's now up to the states to choose whether they'll use their own funds to replace benefits moving forward.
The federal government is also renewing calls for states to transition to chip EBT cards, which the USDA said "has proven an effective method to safeguard card usage from theft and fraud in the credit and debit industry." Currently, SNAP recipients can only swipe their cards.
“That should have been done since those credit cards were doing the chips. They should have been start doing that now," the mother said.
Calling it an emergency, this mom wants leaders to take urgent action to protect vulnerable families.
“I’m definitely afraid that it's going to happen again. I'm very scared that, if they could take my whole fundings for next month, what's going to happen next? How could the governor prevent this?" she said.
CBS 6 reached out to the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) to ask if the state was planning to replace stolen benefits.
VDSS Commissioner James Williams sent a statement that did not specifically answer that question, but he said the state is working on prevention measures.
"VDSS and the Administration are taking several measures to reduce SNAP theft, including new technology allowing customers to lock and unlock their cards with a mobile app, which will be live by the end of January. Additionally, VDSS is combatting robocalls with adaptive technology in our EBT call center to prevent bad actors from stealing benefits. Victims of theft should immediately file reports with local law enforcement. SNAP beneficiaries should update their account passwords as a precaution in the meantime," Williams said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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