In the days leading up to Christmas, many people in Delaware discovered their food stamps balances had been stolen through a nationwide fraud scheme.
Several individuals told WMDT News that their food stamps accounts were emptied. When they contacted the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), they found out the fraudulent transactions happened out-of-state.
One man in Dover lost over $200 in benefits, which were used at a convenience store in New York City.
WMDT’s Rob Petree spoke with DHSS to learn more about what’s happening.
“As soon as the benefits are added to the card—sometimes at midnight—they’re stolen almost immediately,” said Crystal Marione, a senior administrator at DHSS.
The fraud might involve skimming devices, phishing scams, or fake text messages. The exact cause is still under investigation, with state and federal officials working to fix the issue and replace stolen benefits.
“The scammers are getting very advanced,” Marione explained. “Even if the person still has their card, the benefits can be electronically stolen. DHSS will never call, text, or email asking for your card number or PIN.”
To protect against fraud, DHSS recommends locking your card when it’s not being used.
“You can lock your card online,” Marione said. “Unlock it when you’re ready to pay, then lock it again. There’s even an option to set the card to lock automatically after 30 minutes.”
If your food stamps are stolen, you can contact DHSS to have them replaced.
“We’re processing replacements as fast as possible,” Marione said. “If all the necessary forms are filled out, benefits can be restored in about 10 days.”
However, there’s a limit. DHSS can only replace stolen benefits twice, as per federal funding rules.
If someone has already received two months’ worth of replacement benefits, we can’t replace them again, Marione said.