Officials warn SNAP users of fraud

Oregonians who receive supplemental federal food benefits need to be more vigilant than ever against fraud, officials say: If their monthly benefits are stolen, they’ll be gone for good.

In the past, the federal government replaced benefits lost to fraud, but that policy changed late last year. The federal government is no longer replacing stolen benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

That could mean a total loss of tens of thousands of dollars in SNAP benefits in Oregon, primarily through “skimming,” according to officials from Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. That happens when a device is inserted into a credit card reader and steals financial information when the card is run through the reader.

Only a small minority lose their benefits this way. Oregon has nearly 447,000 households receiving SNAP benefits. From Oct. 1 through Dec. 20, nearly 200 households had their benefits stolen, losing $77,000 in food aid.

The average household receives $310 in SNAP benefits, which are not meant to foot an entire food bill, but the money is often crucial for those who need it.

Jake Sunderland, press secretary for the Oregon Department of Human Services, said SNAP users should take several precautions to protect themselves from fraud:

Only manage your account through the ebtEDGE website or mobile app, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Freeze your card right away after each use and unfreeze it before you make purchases and block purchases made outside of Oregon or online through Cardholder.ebtEDGE.com.

Keep your PIN secret and cover the keypad when you enter it.

Check your account activity regularly and cancel your card immediately if you see purchases you didn’t make.

oregoncapitalchronicle.com