Mayor Adams reports that New York City has linked nearly $48 million in replacement funds to victims of benefits theft.

 

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Commissioner Molly Wasow Park of the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS) announced that the city has assisted approximately 95,000 low-income households in recovering nearly $48 million in Cash Assistance (CA) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits over the past 16 months after their essential public benefits were electronically stolen. Due to security vulnerabilities in Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, nearly 2 million New Yorkers who depend on these federally funded benefits to keep themselves and their families fed, housed, and healthy are still at risk of having their benefits stolen when they swipe their cards to make purchases.

 

Mayor Adams remarked, "Since I came into office, I have fulfilled my pledge to ensure that New York City does everything it can to ensure working-class families are not left hungry like we were. I was one of six siblings raised by a single mother who struggled to put food on the table." "I am proud of our administration's efforts to provide replacement funds for food and other essentials that were wrongfully taken from nearly 95,000 families in need.

Benefits are being taken from those who need them the most across the nation, but New York City is setting the standard by making sure that people are restored to their full potential with almost $48 million in essential funds. This is just one more way we are making our city the most affordable and family-friendly place to live.

 

"We are proud to have restored almost $48 million in stolen SNAP and CA benefits because we understand how important these programs are to New Yorkers and how losing them can have a significant and long-lasting effect on entire families as they struggle to make ends meet," DSS Commissioner Park said.

 

"New Yorkers are once more in danger of permanently losing these vital benefits as the federal authorization for replacement SNAP benefits expires. While EBT cardholders are still vulnerable to skimming, we call on Congress to act swiftly to help these households and reauthorize replacement SNAP benefits. We greatly value the hard work being done by our partners at the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to safeguard EBT cardholders against these nefarious scams.

 

Although benefit theft can have major and long-lasting effects on households that rely on SNAP and CA, the city has been able to lessen the harm for almost 95,000 households in the five boroughs by providing replacement benefits.

 

The most common method of electronic benefits theft in New York City is "card skimming," in which criminals use a skimmer placed over a company's card reader to duplicate a cardholder's card and personal identification number (PIN). The victim's EBT account is then accessed using the stolen data, allowing benefits to be stolen.

On August 21, 2023, the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) started to accept replacement benefit claims after federal and state laws permitting the replacement of stolen SNAP and CA benefits were passed.

About 90 percent, or $43 million, of the $47.7 million in replacement benefits and 120,000 separate skimming claims that the agency had approved as of January 8, 2025, came from replacement SNAP benefits.

 

However, on December 20, 2024, the federal authorization that permitted the replacement of stolen SNAP benefits expired because Congress failed to include an extension in the federal American Relief Act 2025. Thus, for any theft that took place on or after December 21, 2024, HRA can no longer provide replacement SNAP benefits.

For SNAP benefits that were stolen on or before December 20, 2024, New Yorkers may still file claims; however, they must be made within 30 days of the theft being discovered. Claims for replacement CA benefits, which are authorized and funded by the state of New York, are not affected by this change. Each household may only replace one CA benefit during the federal fiscal year, which runs from October 1 to September 30.

 

It is crucial that New Yorkers use their EBT cards with caution because replacement SNAP benefits are no longer available. Before swiping their EBT card, New Yorkers should carefully check card readers because skimming overlays are frequently hard to spot at a glance. To educate New Yorkers on how to recognize the warning signs of a skimming overlay, HRA has created a flyer.

 

Anyone can contact the HRA's Fraud Unit at 718-557-1399 to report a suspected skimming overlay. To answer data requests, exchange information regarding the location of likely skimming devices, and hold criminals responsible for preying on households that are at risk, the agency is still collaborating with the New York City Department of Investigation.

 

EBT cardholders should also regularly change their PIN, refrain from disclosing their account information to third parties, keep an eye out for questionable transactions, and use the EBT card freeze feature to further protect their benefits from dishonest people. When not in use, this feature enables cardholders to "freeze" their card, preventing any transactions.

 

New Yorkers should be aware that while a card freeze prevents thieves from accessing the benefits on a frozen card, it does not prevent skimming because a skimming device can still copy card details. A cardholder can use the ebtEDGE website or mobile app to access their account and unfreeze it. To make sure no more transactions are made after the transaction is complete, the cardholder can freeze their card once more.

By filing a claim online, by mail (completed forms should be sent to the 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, New Yorkers who have had eligible SNAP or CA benefits stolen may be eligible to have some or all of their benefits replaced. In order to submit a claim, clients need to: