Mayor Adams Announces New York City has Connected Victims of Benefits Theft to Nearly $48 Million in Replacement Funds

January 23, 2025

Department of Social Services Has Approved Claims for Nearly 95,000
Households Whose Food and Cash Benefits Were Electronically Stolen

New Yorkers Can Still Submit Claims for Cash Assistance
Benefits and SNAP Benefits Stolen Prior to December 20, 2024

NEW YORK - New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Molly Wasow Park today announced that the city has helped nearly 95,000 low-income households whose vital public benefits were electronically stolen recover nearly $48 million in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Cash Assistance (CA) benefits over the last 16 months. Nearly 2 million New Yorkers rely on these federally funded benefits to keep themselves and their families healthy, housed, and fed, but because of security flaws present in Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, they remain susceptible to having their benefits stolen when they swipe their cards to make a purchase.

"I was one of six siblings raised by a single mother who struggled to put food on the table, and since I took office, I have followed through on my promise to make sure New York City does everything it can to make sure working-class families are not left hungry like we were," said Mayor Adams. "I am proud of our administration's work to connect nearly 95,000 vulnerable families with replacement money for food and daily necessities that were cruelly stolen from them. Across the country, benefits are being stolen from the people who need them the most, but New York City is leading the way in ensuring that people are made whole again with nearly $48 million in vital funds. This is just another way we are making our city more affordable and the best place to raise a family."

"We take great pride in having replaced nearly $48 million in stolen SNAP and CA benefits because we know that New Yorkers rely on these supports to make ends meet, and that losing them can have serious and lasting impacts on entire families as they scramble to make do with less," said DSS Commissioner Park. "With the federal authorization for replacement SNAP benefits expiring, New Yorkers are again at risk of losing these critical benefits for good. We urge Congress to take decisive action to support these vulnerable households and reauthorize replacement SNAP benefits while EBT cardholders are still susceptible to skimming. We very much appreciate that our partners at the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance are working diligently to protect EBT cardholders from these malicious scams."

For the households that depend on SNAP and CA, theft of benefits can have serious and lasting impacts, but the availability of replacement benefits has allowed the city to mitigate the damage for nearly 95,000 households across the five boroughs. In New York City, electronic benefits theft typically occurs via "card skimming," where bad actors copy a cardholder's card and personal identification number (PIN) information using a skimmer placed over a business' card reader. This stolen data is then used to access the victim's EBT account and steal their benefits.

Following the passage of both federal and state legislation allowing for the replacement of stolen SNAP and CA benefits, the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) began accepting claims for replacement benefits on August 21, 2023. As of January 8, 2025, the agency had approved a total of 120,000 distinct skimming claims and $47.7 million in replacement benefits, with replacement SNAP benefits representing roughly 90 percent - or $43 million - of that total value.

However, the federal authorization that allowed for the replacement of stolen SNAP benefits ended on December 20th, 2024, when Congress did not extend the authorization as part of the federal American Relief Act 2025. As a result, HRA is no longer able to issue replacement SNAP benefits for any theft that occurred on or after December 21, 2024. New Yorkers can still file claims for SNAP benefits stolen on or before December 20, 2024, but they must be submitted within 30 days of the discovery of the theft. This change does not impact claims for replacement CA benefits, which are funded and authorized by New York state. Households are limited to one CA benefit replacement per federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30).

Because replacement SNAP benefits are no longer available, it is incredibly important that New Yorkers exercise caution when using their EBT cards. Skimming overlays are often difficult to detect at a glance, so New Yorkers should carefully inspect card readers before swiping their EBT card. HRA has produced a flyer to help New Yorkers learn to spot the signs of a skimmingoverlay. Anyone can report a suspected skimming overlay by calling the HRA's Fraud Unit at 718-557-1399. The agency continues to work with the New York City Department of Investigation to respond to data inquiries, share information about the location of probable skimming devices, and hold thieves accountable for preying on vulnerable households.

To further defend their benefits against bad actors, EBT card holders should also change their PIN frequently, avoid sharing their account information with others, monitor their account for suspicious transactions, and utilize the EBT card freeze function. This function allows cardholders to "freeze" their card when not in use so no transactions can be made. New Yorkers should note that the card freeze does not protect against skimming - as card details can still be copied by a skimming device - but thieves cannot access the benefits on a card if it is frozen. To unfreeze an account, a cardholder can log into their account on the ebtEDGE mobile app or on the ebtEdge website. Following completion of the transaction, the cardholder can then freeze their card again to ensure no further transactions are made.

New Yorkers who have had eligible SNAP or CA benefits stolen may have some or all of their benefits replaced by submitting a claim to HRA either online, through the mail (mail completed forms to: New York City Department of Social Services, P.O. Box 02-9121, Brooklyn GPO, Brooklyn, NY 11202), or in person at any SNAP or Benefits Access Center. When submitting a claim, clients must:

• Report their cards as stolen on the ebtEdge website, through the ebtEDGE app, or by calling EBT Customer Service at 888-328-6399.

• Document information, including case number, Client Identification Number of the head of household, and mailing address.

• Report the date the client became aware of the fraudulent activity, first date benefits were stolen, last date benefits were stolen, location where each fraudulent transaction occurred, amount of each fraudulent transaction, and total amount of benefits stolen.

A video guide for submitting a claim is also available online.

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