Salt Lake Man Finds SNAP Account Drained, Faces Limited Recourse for Stolen Funds
Salt Lake City – A Salt Lake City man was shocked to discover that his monthly SNAP benefits — vital for purchasing groceries — had been drained from his account. He found purchases had been made across the country, leaving him without the funds to buy food.
“I get paid on the fifth, and there was a zero balance,” said Gonzales. “I was floored.”
When Gonzales logged into his account on Sunday, expecting to see his food assistance funds, he found they had been spent in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He had no idea how his card information had been compromised.
“I needed to go to the store to get milk, bread, and eggs, and now I can’t do that,” he said.
Utah’s Department of Workforce Services confirmed that scams like this, where SNAP cards are cloned and used in distant locations, are possible but rare. Deputy Director Kevin Burt acknowledged an increase in such cases but stressed that it’s not a widespread issue.
Burt emphasized the need for recipients to protect their SNAP benefits. “It’s a benefit that people will want to take. You have to treat it like that and protect it,” he said. “Simple steps like changing your PIN, monitoring transactions, and never sharing your PIN are crucial.”
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Unfortunately for Gonzales, recent changes to the SNAP program mean that stolen funds cannot be recovered.
“The funding to replace those expired December 20,” said Burt.
Before December 20, recipients could report stolen funds and have them replaced until January 15. However, beyond that date, there is no option for reimbursement.
When asked if protections would be restored in the future, Burt said he was uncertain. “I don’t know. It had expired in the past and then was refunded, but as of right now, it’s simply not being refunded.”
As Gonzales waits for a new SNAP card, he expressed concerns about future security. “There’s no security in a four-digit PIN. My bank and credit cards allow for longer passwords,” he said.
For now, Gonzales has filed a fraud report and hopes that Workforce Services will be able to recover at least some of the stolen funds. If not, he plans to rely on local food pantries until his next deposit in February.
More than 180,000 Utahns depend on SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families.
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