Special agent explains how thieves profit from stolen SNAP benefits

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — We're hearing from a special agent, in charge of investigating thieves stealing SNAP benefits from Oklahomans.

"This is organized crime," said Michael Adams, the Special Agent in Charge at the DHS Office of Inspector General.

Adams investigates stolen SNAP Benefits, or EBT, in Okahoma.

He said the international crime ring perfected its method in Europe, then moved to the U.S. They've been traveling state to state stealing benefits.

Adams said it started in 2022, then ramped up last October. That's when nearly $1,000 in benefits were wiped from Belle Nelson's Account.

"Why are you hitting us? Why not hit the billionaires? They're not going to miss it," said Nelson.

Thankfully, Nelson was reimbursed.

However, federal funding to replace those SNAP benefits ran out in December. That means Jennifer Roy, whose food stamps were stolen last week, are gone until next month.

"I work full time but I do rely on my food stamps to make it through the month for my family," said Roy.

Adams said this all because of a crime ring with sophisticated methods.

"They have the hierarchy. You have many different levels of leadership," said Adams.

The criminals use different methods like a computer with an algorithm that's constantly guessing card numbers and PINs.

Adams said DHS has recently purchased technology to fight the algorithms, which should help reduce the crime.

The perpetrators also use card skimmers, placed on the busiest checkout counters at stores.

"In the time that it takes to turn around and grab a pack of cigarettes, they can already have that overlay skimmer put on the that terminal," said Adams. "It's so difficult to know there's a skimmer on a terminal and likely to be very rare the person is going to notice."

SNAP Benefit cards contain real money. When a person is checking out, the point of sale system doesn't see which items are eligible for EBT, it just sees the amount.

"We're having to trust that retailer to only sell eligible food items," said Adams.

Also, there are no chips on the current EBT cards. That means all the data is located on the back strip. One swipe in the skimmer and the crime ring has all of your data.

Then, they can run the numbers through their own point of sale system, purchased on the dark web.

"We call it 'terminal spoofing' and so they're making it look like they're doing a retailer that's approved but in a different state," said Catey Brim, the Director of Digital Transformation for DHS.

That fake terminal can put the money on a cloned card, which is then sold on the dark web for a reduced price to be used anywhere.

In the summer or fall of 2025, Oklahoma plans to become one of the first states to have EBT card with chips to curb the stealing.

In the meantime, the best thing you can do to protect your SNAP benefits is lock your card through the state's Connect EBT app.

Here are the links for the app for Apple iOS and Android.

"If you're saying 'lock everywhere' on the back end we're saying, 'anything that tries to hit this account? Not happening,'" said Brim.