The Wall Street Journal reports Romanian organized-crime groups target SNAP recipients with skimmers that copy EBT data. USDA says $322 million in likely fraud losses were replaced from October 2022 to December 2024; stolen benefits are no longer federally reimbursed.
Skimmers on store payment terminals capture EBT card data from the magnetic stripe; the WSJ says thieves load stolen funds onto blank cards to withdraw cash or buy goods for resale. No national count tracks SNAP-specific skimming. USDA projected another $233 million in fraudulent losses in 2026. In April, the Justice Department charged five Romanian citizens with conspiring to steal nearly $1 million in SNAP benefits in Ohio and California; in July, it arrested two Romanian brothers for using skimming devices at ATMs, fuel pumps and other locations.
Only a handful of states have invested in chip technology for EBT cards. Ohio and Virginia passed laws to add chips this year, and California says theft fell 83% after introducing chip-enabled cards. USDA says it is expanding anti-fraud efforts through chip cards, card locking, mobile-payment pilots and state grants. The Secret Service says retailer outreach prevented $428 million in fraud losses and led to more than 400 skimmers being confiscated last year. Merchants need compatible readers, and the WSJ notes criminals may still find ways around chip-enabled cards.
